Our Lives Are Never Normal
by Little Dragon-kun
Summary: The Crawler has been defeated, and yet not everything is as it seems on the surface. Serah's dark past is resurfacing, Alex has a love he doesn't know how to admit, and Amy...tries to be the best ruler she can be at such a young age. Sequel to A Hyper-Lethal Hero. Rated M for safety
1. Slow Day at the Office

_**A/N: Hey guys, Little Dragon-kun with the first chapter for the sequel to 'A Hyper-Lethal Hero!' I have a vast majority of this story planned out, and a few OCs will still be in use (including Alex, Luna, and Nick), and this is a bit darker than the previous story. Still, I'm hoping it's good.**_

_**New Game… Start!**_

***Slow Day at the Office***

Bowerstone Castle was quiet, as was most of Albion. It had been a few months since the Crawler attack and Walter's death, and Amy found herself almost bored. With Albion safe from evil, what more was a Hero to do?

"Mum, is Uncle Alex going to be late?" Lily asked, her eyes wide and pleading. Amy ruffled her daughter's hair. "It looks that way. How's Serah?"

"She got back from Mistpeak a little while ago. She said that she found a few things at the Mercenary Camp for Uncle Alex," Lily answered.

"And now I'm here with my lovely wife," a teasing voice sounded behind her. Amy didn't even need to look to know who it was. "Welcome back."

Serah smiled and put her sword across her back, her clothing freshly cleaned. "It's good to be back. Oh, and Alex is washing some blood off of himself. The idiot managed to get hit on his arm."

"Will he be alright? He doesn't have that healing power anymore," Amy fretted, nervous for her friend. Serah waved her hand dismissively. "Please, it took a hell of a lot of convincing just to get him cleaned up. You know how he loves his battle scars."

'_Yeah, a bit too much,' _Amy thought dryly. She laughed. "I can't say I'm too surprised. He's always been like that, even when we were rebels."

Serah sighed wistfully. "Those were the days. So many good memories."

Amy playfully narrowed her eyes. "You mean like what we did in the spare rooms at the pub in Bowerstone Market?" Serah laughed. "That too. I meant that we were actually busy doing something. While I do like the change of pace, it does get a bit boring every once in a while. It's been ages since I had a good fight."

Amy sighed and stretched. "I hear you on that one. How long has it been? A few months?" Serah nodded. "Too long, if you ask me. I thought that us being Heroes would mean nothing's ever normal. That includes our lives."

Amy had to admit the former Spartan was right. All they had been doing the last few months were small missions to take out bandits and slay some Balverines terrorizing Millfields. For both Heroes, it was very boring.

Still, she had no idea what to do about it. "And what do you suggest we do? It's not like Albion is crawling with adventure and excitement anymore."

Serah sighed. "I don't know. Maybe, we won't find the adventure. The adventure will find us." _'Hopefully sooner than later.'_

Alex appeared, leaning casually against the wall of the castle. "I miss the chase too. And after the Hell I went through with you two, that's saying something. Even Luna and Nick aren't entertained by Feya's antics anymore."

"Now that is a damn surprise," Serah muttered. The happy-go-lucky blonde soldier had managed to keep both Luna and Nick somewhat amused, but even she was running out of new ideas.

Hobson, Amy's incredibly annoying advisor approached her. "My Queen. Would you please follow me? We have a great deal to discuss."

The Queen groaned inwardly. _'Goddammit. I do not want to deal with half of this shit.' _She planted one last kiss on her wife before reluctantly following her advisor, calling back, "I'll try not to be bored to death."

Alex snickered, and Serah left him to find her daughter. "I'll put Lily to bed. Do me a favor and try not to get yourself killed?"

Alex yawned in response, nodding as he brushed some stray strands of hair from his emerald eyes. "Will do."

He headed in too, and he grinned in amusement as he saw Luna sitting in a chair, looking incredibly bored. "Lonely are you?"

Luna glared at him. "Shut up Alex. You should know that I miss Page." Alex rubbed his head in slight frustration. "You do know that you can head down to Industrial any time you want. So, take this weekend off. I'm sure Nick won't mind too much. He'll put Feya on all your shifts."

Luna nodded and stretched out. "Yes Blondie. I'm going for a bit of rest. Tell me if something happens while I sleep."

Alex nodded and took her place, leaning against the wall. He tugged the bandage around his arm before looking up at the decorated ceiling of the castle. "It has been a slow day at the office."

-0-

Amy sat on the throne, incredibly bored and tired, listening as Hobson rambled on about some new disagreement with the garden in Millfields. "This dispute over how to properly maintain the Millfields garden will take no less than eight weeks time of negotiations. It should be a very exciting two months."

Amy yawned and slumped in the throne. _'I seriously doubt that. This better be quick.'_

_Meanwhile…_

A man wearing all black and wielding a long sword climbed the castle wall, hiding from the guards. The men didn't notice as one of them was beheaded, and he too paid the price with his life. Blood splashed as the bodies hit the ground.

He climbed in through the castle, dashing in the shadows past an exhausted Alex, who darted around, narrowing his eyes. "I could have sworn…ah well." He headed upstairs to his quarters.

The man in black smiled. These men were so predictable, so easy to kill. It was like taking candy from a baby. He headed up the stairs to the Throne Room, killing all of the guards on his way.

He sneakily entered, and he climbed up one of the massive pillars inside.

-0-

Amy blinked her eyes. _'What was that?' _It sounded like someone entered, but there was no one she could see. Putting the small noise to the back of her head, she again tried to focus on the dull human that was Hobson.

-0-

The man flicked open his knife, the blade gleaming. He aimed at the young Queen's throat and threw it. The blade soared in the air, and he rubbed his hands gleefully. _'The last Queen of Albion will die by my hand!'_

-0-

Amy was snoring slightly when a knife landed right beside her head, very close to her throat. T had torn Hobson's paper clean out of his hand, and he screamed and hid behind the throne. Amy looked up, and a man in black dropped down, wielding a long thin sword. He twirled it over his head. "Is it too late for an audience, my Queen?"

Amy drew her sword, ready to meet the assassin. "Who are you?" She stepped back to avoid a swing, which in turn took out one of her guards. _'Dammit. This man is good!'_

She hit him twice with her magic, but it was as if he could take the hits without flinching. He slit another guard's throat open before answering her question. "You will never hear my name. Not even as your blood flows from this castle! How many people have you sent to the Keep?"

'_The Keep? What the hell is that?' _Amy wondered, ducking from another swing. "I have no idea what you are talking about!" The assassin cackled madly before slicing her last guard's head off. "Lying won't get you anywhere, Queen! Your family may have been Heroes, and may have started the monarch, but that doesn't give you the right to rule!" He struck her twice, and Amy winced as the blade hit her on the arm. _'Ow….'_

She drew her pistol and fired four times, three of the bullets hitting their target. The man flinched, and Amy hit him another two times with her sword. "I told you I have no idea what you are talking about!"

The man parried a blow, and he punched her in the stomach, making her double over. Amy narrowly avoided being cut in two as she rolled away. _'What is this guy made of!?'_

The assassin sighed, almost like he was in his memories. "They couldn't keep me locked up in the Keep, and your guards couldn't keep me out of your castle! Oh, if only General Turner can see me now. Too bad you will die before you ever get to meet him."

The doors burst open, and Serah joined the fray. "AMY!" Alex was right behind her, and both of them shot the assassin in the back. He fell to the ground, mortally wounded.

Amy walked up to him, her sword leveled at his throat. But there was no point; he was dying quickly. The assassin looked at her with hate in his eyes. "We will kill you eventually. I am one of many. We will come for you." his eyes rolled and he fell limp. The assassin was dead.

Alex kicked the body. "Sorry I wasn't able to come sooner. I only heard the ruckus a few minutes ago. I may have been able to save those men." Amy shook her head, trying to reassure him. "No, he would have still killed them. He was too skilled and powerful for them to get even a decent strike."

Serah hugged her, running her hands over her back. "Are you okay?" Amy glanced at the wound on her arm, and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It'll heal." She glanced at the body lying on the ground. "And to think, this guy had managed to sneak in and kill who knows how many of our men. This is bad, very bad." A knock sounded on the door, and Nick entered, his face a bit flustered. "What the hell happened!?"

Serah rolled her eyes. "You can't tell from the noise and bodies that an assassin managed to get in? Fuck, I thought Luna would have taught you all of that."

Nick groaned. "You have got to be kidding me. How the hell did he get here!?" Alex rubbed his temples in slight frustration. "That's what we're trying to figure out, for fuck's sake! And now, I'm giving you an order. Make sure that there are at least three men on every post. This guy made it pretty clear that someone else was coming after the Queen, and I'd really hate for us to be caught unawares again."

Nick saluted. "Yes, Major." Alex returned the gesture, and Nick left, leaving the three alone. Serah picked up the assassin's body. "Remember how I said maybe the adventure would find us? Well, I was right. I kinda wish I can take those words back." She threw the body over the railing, the mass hitting the graveyard loudly and scaring the shit out of a few crows (who were quite happy to have new food).

The door to the Throne Room opened again, and this time it was Feya, the blonde soldier looking worried. And that was a problem, for she was NEVER worried. She saluted before answering quickly. "My Queen, General, Major. An enemy ship is approaching!"

Amy's shoulders slumped. "Once it starts, it never ends, does it?" _'I may have missed the excitement, but I have an actual life now. Fuck, why couldn't all of this have never happened?' _"I'm coming."

The group made their way to the docks, and there was indeed a ship with unusual sails. Serah couldn't make out the markings, but she did see a lot of men onboard. "There's a lot of manpower on that ship." She turned to the soldiers, who were awaiting orders. "Aim at that ship! Make sure you can see the white of their eyes! Fire when I give the order!"

The soldiers pulled the hammers back on their rifles, using the scopes to lock on to the targets. The ship reached the dock, and the men onboard disembarked, standing at attention on either side. Feya whispered over to Red, "They look like Elite Soldiers. What the hell is going on?"

Red shrugged and looked through the scope again, her finger about to pull on the trigger. "I don't know, but they are as good as dead." Amy put her hand on the Captain's shoulder, shaking her head. "Wait."

A man wearing the uniform of a Commander drew his sword and held it above his head as he crouched on one knee. "We are at your service, Your Majesty."

Amy, Serah, and Alex walked forward, still suspicious of the newcomers' intentions. "Who are you?"

The man bowed again. "I am Commander Milton, My Queen. Alex saluted the higher-ranking officer. "Sir!"

Commander Milton returned the gesture. "Major." Alex's ranks were always polished, and they shone on his uniform. Amy faced the Commander. "The man spoke of a place called the Keep. Is that where you are from?"

Milton nodded. "Yes. We were in pursuit of the one who attempted to take your life. We knew he would fail, but his escape disgraces us all the same. The Keep is Albion's secret prison. Your mother used it. Your brother Logan used it. Now, it is yours."

He extended a hand to the Queen. "Come. We must go, quickly. It is time you saw the Keep with your own eyes."

_**A/N: I know, I know. This chapter is very short. But, it is only the first one, and I am pleased with the way it came out. Next up, the Queen and her allies will enter the Keep and find out who is trying to bring them down. Reviews are always appreciated, as is any other feedback. Peace out!**_


	2. Traitor's Keep

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Got a little bout of writer's block for this fanfic, but don't worry about it dying off. This is probably going to be one of the few multi-chapter fics that I actually do finish. I do not own Fable or Halo; that is the property of Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries.**_

_**Load game….Start!**_

***Traitor's Keep***

The ship reached a desolate island, and on the hills above was a very large prison. Commander Milton waved to it. "Welcome to the Keep, Your Majesty. Albion's secret prison. This is where the most dangerous criminals in the land are kept, from mad doctors to mass murderers."

Hobson looked confused. "But I was under the impression that Logan had just begun throwing people in for petty crimes." Milton nodded. "That's true, Hobson. There are a large amount of Logan's political enemies in here, and most are harmless. But over the years, we have gotten some very dangerous ones as well. And none is more deadly than General Turner."

Alex pushed a loose strand of hair from his green eyes. "I remember him. He led Logan's army for years, until he became obsessed with ending his rule by getting rid of the monarchy all together. Unfortunately for us, this was before Logan decided to execute all traitors to the crown."

Amy hissed at the mention of her dead brother. "Yeah, and I'm sure that Swift was a traitor. He only wanted to help better the land, and that bastard had him killed in public." Serah rubbed her back. "Calm down."

The boat reached the port, and they got off onto the docks. An Elite Soldier on duty at the gate saluted before letting them in. the stone bridge lead straight to the prison, which seemed to be very large indeed.

"The Keep is the most secure prison in Albion, so that assassin's escape has some of our men rattled a bit. There hasn't been a breakout in years, and many of these men are new recruits," Milton informed them.

Amy opened her mouth to speak when a large explosion sounded off from the interior of the prison. _'That cannot be good.' _Serah must have read her thoughts, because she swore loudly. "FUCKER!"

Alex chuckled at the former Spartan's outburst. "I take it you are tired of this kind of bullshit?" Serah glared at the blonde, and he shut his mouth.

Milton ran in front of them. "This is not good. Follow me, My Queen!" As they all ran in the direction of the explosion, Hobson began to panic. "I knew it! We're going to be torn apart by ravenous criminals!" Alex smacked him on the head. "Shut up. We have two Heroes with us. Do you really think that we'll let that happen?"

"I sure wouldn't miss him," Serah muttered from upfront, having voiced her extreme dislike for Amy's advisor numerous times before. Alex chuckled in amusement. "Fair enough."

They reached a gate blocked off by several Elite Soldiers, and they could here screams and gunshots from within the Keep. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good. Flaming ruins were blocking the way past the gate, and Milton was not happy as he marched to the soldier on guard. "Lieutenant! What the hell happened!?"

The Lieutenant saluted. "Some of the prisoners in Block A have broken free, sir. They started a riot, and got hold of some weapons. They have killed some of our men!" Amy tensed up. _'If the Elite Soldiers are having trouble with a bunch of prisoners, then how the hell are we going to do?'_

Milton shook his head. "Dammit. I should have known. The assassin was probably a diversion, set up by Turner. Not to take you out, Queen, but to drive me and my best men away from the Keep. Dammit!"

Alex unsheathed his sword, his pistol in his free hand. "With all due respect, Commander, we're not going to get anything done by standing around. We need to squelch this before it turns even uglier." Milton nodded in agreement. "You're right, Major. Follow me, for I know another way in. There's a reason they call this place the Keep, but I know the layout better than any prisoner."

Amy, Serah, and Alex followed Milton, while Hobson ran off towards the docks. "I'll make sure that no one sinks the ship!" Amy shook her head in disgust. _'Coward.'_

They dropped in front of a large, gaping hole in the side of the Keep, and Milton urged them inside. "Come on. This is the only other way." Serah grimaced as some of the foul smelling water on the ground splashed up. "Ugh. This reminds me of the sewers in Industrial. And it's not just the smell."

Alex looked at the gray, dimly lit ceilings. "Just like old times, eh?" Serah and Amy sighed before they entered the interior of the prison

_Ravenscar Keep _

The ground of the entrance eventually dried up, but not before it had covered the four in the water. Alex looked at his uniform in disgust. "Man, I just washed this too!" Amy shrugged. "At least you're not wearing royal clothing."

"Good point. I take it I should stop bitching?"

"Yes."

They stopped in front of a steel gate, and on the floor was the corpse of a prisoner. Milton looked at him in slight amusement. "The only way to get out of this gate is to use this key, and I have the only copy. As this poor bastard found out too late." Serah looked closely at his face. "He seemed to be in great distress when he died. Fairly recent one, too. Looks like he has a broken arm to add on that list."

Milton unlocked the door, and they entered the prison's interior. Up ahead, they could hear almost inhuman screams inside. Amy drew her sword, her eyes wide. "What the hell is that?"

Milton looked almost sad. "We're coming to the Pit. The prisoners here are so disturbed, they're barely human. Quite sad, actually."

They entered the Pit, and Milton gestured to the steel doors, where the screams grew louder. "Welcome to the Pit, Your Majesty. The most miserable place in Albion. Let's try to get through here; they sound agitated enough already."

"You don't say," Serah murmured, holding onto Amy. All the screams were bringing back some painful memories for the former Spartan. When they went through the augmentation process at fourteen; the cries of pain…

Serah shook her head. _'No time to dwell on that.' _There was still something to be done.

They passed a small room with a strange chair in it. Serah gasped. "That's an electric chair!" Milton nodded. "I closed this room down when I became the warden. The doctors who used it called it the 'electrical rehabilitation facility'. The rest of us called it the torture chamber. Most of the men you hear screaming sat in those chairs ever day for years."

"That's terrible," Amy whispered. How could anyone do that to another person?

Milton sensed the young Queen's discomfort and led them out of the Pit, where they came across a few prisoners fighting with the Elite Soldiers. He drew his sword. "Get 'em! This is the first riot in the Keep since I became warden!"

'_He's not really happy about that,' _Serah thought dryly as she pulled out her rifle. She looked through the sights, and she squeezed the trigger. "Got you." Four shots rang out, and two prisoners fell dead.

She slid a new clip in, and jumped back as a prisoner leapt at her, wielding a long thin sword like the assassin. He sneered at the former Spartan, twirling the blade gracefully over his head. "Oh looky here. We got ourselves a General to play with, boys. Have at her."

Serah growled as three more prisoners circled her. "I really have had enough of this already." Blue and white wings grew from her back, fluttering. The prisoners stepped back, a bit frightened when Serah drew Avo's Lamentation, the blade crackling with the Shock magic embedded within. They made to run when Serah swung, three bolts of lightning taking out the prisoners while the main one ran away.

The Spartan hissed angrily when she saw he had fled. "Fucking coward…"

She searched for the man, and she heard something above her break. Without looking Serah rolled out of the way as part of the ceiling collapsed and the man dropped down, looking disappointed. "I was hoping that would have crushed you."

Serah hissed angrily and grabbed his throat, choking him to death. As the man's struggles grew in desperation, Serah leaned closer to his face, slowly turning blue from the lack of air. "You picked the wrong one to fuck with." She squeezed harder, and the man's windpipe crushed from her iron grip. Serah threw the body away in disgust. "Pitiful."

She looked around, she ran over to her wife and Alex, both of them fighting against the rebelling prisoners. The blonde Major was still incredibly fast, simply striking and sheathing his sword in a blur of motion. _'Nice to see that earlier wound from the mercenaries isn't really bothering him.'_

Amy was even better than when they first met, having the enhanced aim that a Hero Queen needed to live. She drew her sword in her free hand and threw a man over her shoulder before stabbing him in the throat, blood leaping up. Amy sighed as she looked at her clothes. "Fuck, I just cleaned this too!"

Alex shot the last prisoner in the head, chuckling at the Queen's annoyance. "Should we get Feya to do laundry when we get back? I'm sure that happy-go-lucky blonde would love to do that for you."

Amy groaned as she holstered her rifle. "I don't want a repeat of last time when she ended up dressing as Nick and began directing orders for him to get in her bed. While that was funny as hell, it was also embarrassing."

Serah whistled as she remembered that particular antic of the blonde soldier. "Didn't she get bored and steal Red's uniform in an attempt to guide her to a bedroom?" Alex laughed as he recalled Red's flustered face as she ended up in Feya's room with very little clothing on. "That was great. I've never seen Red at such a loss for words like that before."

Serah nudged Amy with an amused smirk. "It's a good thing Major Killjoy doesn't hear us anymore, now that we're in the Royal Bedroom." Alex groaned and rubbed his temples. "I still do, I'm just tired of bitching about it. There is a difference, you know."

Commander Milton rejoined them, panting slightly. "This must have been Turner's work. Yet he was the best guarded man in Albion…I really don't see how he could manage this, other than the fact that he has a certain charisma about him that makes people follow him."

Milton led them through the prison, stopping to mourn the loss of several Elite Soldiers, their bodies laid out on beds. "Some of these men were new here, little more than boys. This shouldn't have happened."

He lowered his head, giving a final salute to the men who had fallen in the line of duty. Serah and Alex joined him, shaking their heads. "Commander, I understand. When we faced that attack a few months ago, we lost some good men and women that day, including dear friends."

Milton straightened himself up, his grip tightening on his cutlass. "If I find out that this is in fact Turner's doing, he'll pay for this." He marched along, and they ended up on a large balcony directly over the main rioters. Milton pointed down. "There they are. If you'll excuse me, Your Majesty, I'd like to join my men." He jumped down, ready to put down the riot for good.

Serah jerked her towards the main fighting, the angry shouts of guards and rioters filling the air. "Alex, go down with the Queen. I'll cover you." the blonde Major nodded and jumped down beside the Queen, making sure no one came up to sneak attack her.

Serah lined up the sights of her rifle, finding a man with one of the longer, thinner swords and squeezing the trigger twice. Two bullets caught the man in the neck, and he fell in a puddle of blood. Unfortunately, an Elite Soldier slipped on the crimson patch and fell awkwardly, leaving him open for a killing blow, dealt by another rioter.

The former Spartan sucked her teeth as she reloaded. _'Dammit. That might count as a teamkill.'_ On any other circumstance, such as when bandits decided to be teamkilling fucktards on themselves, the idea would be quite amusing. This time, with the most secure prison in Albion experiencing riots; however, it was not funny.

Serah aimed at another rioter, who was leaping towards Milton, and she fired. She was rewarded with a blood shower on Milton, who didn't seem to care. Or he didn't notice.

Amy and Alex had finished off the rest of the rioters, and Milton pointed to a trio of cells. "Some of our high security prisoners have broken free! Quick; we have to get after them!" He seemed panicky, almost like their freedom was going to bring the ruin of Albion.

They ran towards the cells, and were confronted by a trio of prisoners, all armed with rifles. Alex let out a groan as Amy and Serah drew their firearms, shooting first. "I swear, it never ends once it starts. And here I was, thinking I might actually have some fucking peace-"

Serah and Amy elbowed him in the stomach simultaneously. "Shut up!" They spotted a few Elite Soldiers trapped within the cells, and they freed them, with Milton not looking happy. "Dammit, dammit, dammit. They got away. The riot was a diversion, most likely set up by General Turner. And the three prisoners in these cells got away. Bugger!"

Serah sucked her teeth in annoyance while Amy asked, "Who were they?" There was something about the Commander that seemed a little strange to the Spartan, and she didn't exactly like it. _'Something about this bloke is a bit off. Almost like he's…observing the way we fight with our power. I really don't like it.'_

Milton pointed to a cell with several bits of high-tech machinery. "This is Professor Faraday, possibly the brightest man in Albion. He developed all of the major inventions in Albion's recent Industrial Boom, as you'd call it. As brilliant as he is, some of his creations could bring the end of mankind." He pointed to a strange, metal head, and Serah narrowed her eyes. _'Robots? In this time period?'_

Milton pointed to the second cell. "This is the cell of Mary Godwitch, or Witchcraft Mary. She's responsible for many notorious experiments that lie within a very disturbed mind. To say her experiments are horrifying is the understatement of the century." To prove his point, there were several test tubes and a statue of a Balverine inside, along with notes and formulas.

Finally, Milton pointed to the last cell with a painting of a man wearing the uniform of a General with a large mustache. "And you already know about General Turner. Although he is incredibly charismatic and will attempt to win over everyone to his side."

Hobson burst in, panting heavily. "I was listening in, I'm afraid. You mean to tell me that the three worst criminals in Albion are somewhere loose on this island? I don't want to die!" Serah scoffed. "Pity. I could do without you." Alex and Amy snickered, along with a passing guard.

Milton shook his head. "No, I don't believe they are anywhere on the island. Hobson, you stay here and see if you can find anything on Witchcraft Mary or General Turner. I have an idea about Faraday."

Amy raised an eyebrow, interested. "Really?" It sounded too good to be true.

Milton nodded. "There's only one place he could call home, one place he would feel safe. It's a small island, southeast of Bowerstone called Clockwork Island. It was an amusement park, where Faraday used to live prior to his arrest. It was the birthplace of many of his inventions, some of which are very dangerous indeed."

Amy pursed her lips. "Hm, I think I need to talk with Faraday myself. I'd like to do it peacefully, if I can, but if worst comes to worst, then I want to make sure I'm ready." Milton bowed. "Don't worry, My Queen. Faraday is an old man now, and I doubt he will do us major harm."

Amy blinked slowly. "Hobson, I'm leaving soon. Do you have any good information?" The old advisor let out a sigh as he closed a book. "I've found a good bit about Witchcraft Mary, which I will tell you when you get back, but there seems to be very little about this General Turner. Don't worry, for I'll keep searching and serving the kingdom from within here."

Amy rolled her eyes as she faced Milton. _'Little weasel. I honestly can't wait to be rid of him. I'd actually rather have Reaver as my advisor, for he is at least amusing occasionally, when he isn't being a massive sex freak.'_

She let out a small sigh. "When do we leave, Commander?" Milton raised an eyebrow. "You sure that you want to go? I'm warning you now; it will be dangerous." Amy narrowed her green eyes. "I may be a Queen, but I was born to fight." Milton smirked and waved them along, taking a secret way out of the prison. "Very well. I'll lead the way then."

_Ravenscar Keep Exterior: Main Docks_

Milton's ship was waiting for them at the dock, the sails blowing in the wind. Serah hugged Amy from behind. Kissing her neck. "Ready for this, love?" Amy let out a small gasp as she felt Serah's teeth gently graze the soft skin at her neck. "Yes."

They stepped onboard the ship, and with Alex giving on last sigh of slight exasperation they set sail, hunting down the father on industry.

_**A/N: Whew. This was a better chapter, and it is starting to pick up a bit more. Next up is the manhunt for Faraday, so expect some good action and perhaps some entertaining sequences from Bowerstone Castle (courtesy of Feya and Nick). Feedback is always appreciated.**_

_**See you!**_


	3. Like Clockwork

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Just had a few other fics I needed to get out, along with my new Red vs. Blue and Fable crossover, a new Halo fic, and several updates for other ones. I hope you like this chapter, for now it is the hunt for Faraday.**_

_**Load game…Start!**_

***Like Clockwork***

_Bowerstone Castle_

Nick looked in the drawers of the cupboard, completely confused. "Where the fuck is my Goddamn uniform!? It was here a minute ago!"

He heard a knock on his door, and he covered himself up before opening it. "Ah, hello Red. What is it?" The young Captain looked at her First Sergeant in slight amusement. "Having a wardrobe malfunction, are we?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Not funny. Someone stole my uniform, and I have a good idea as to who it was." Red sighed, rubbing her temples. "Feya! Get over here, now!"

The happy-go-lucky blonde soldier appeared, an innocent look on her face. "What? What happened this time?" She looked down at Nick, and her green eyes began to fill with amusement. "Oh dear…for once, it wasn't me."

Nick let out a cough, "Bullshit, bullshit," and Red narrowed her eyes. "Feya, I swear, if you don't give me his damn uniform in three seconds, I'm going to-"

"Order me around like two weeks ago~?" Feya suggested happily, making Nick groan and Red blush. The Captain tried to keep her cool. "Feya! Not here, and not now! Dammit! Where's his fucking clothes!?"

Feya shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I was downstairs kicking a pack of crows out of the kitchens. They do make good target practice…" Red noticed the small drops of blood on the blonde's uniform, and she face-palmed. "So that's what those gunshots were from? Why am I not surprised?"

"Because it's her we're talking about?" Nick suggested dryly. Red chuckled. "You do have a point there, Nick. Now, if I didn't do it, and the very microscopic chance that Feya didn't do it, then who's left?"

Feya paused. "I remember Luna saying something about taking away Nick's uniform for something…" Nick groaned. "….wait, did you say Luna?" Red narrowed her eyes before shouting, "LUNA! GET OVER HERE!"

The former mercenary appeared, Nick's clothing in her hands. "I was washing it! There was some strange…liquids...on it." Red sighed and rubbed her temples. "What was it?"

Luna shrugged, pink rising on her cheeks. "I don't know…it smelled like sex and candy." Feya snickered, Red face-palmed, and Nick was beyond pissed. His eyes were narrowed into slits. "I swear to fucking God, if it was A-"

Luna shook her head. "It wasn't Alex. He hasn't been here since last night, and this only happened very recently." Red ran a hand through her crimson hair, her silver eyes closed. "Yeah. Besides, he bitches more than anyone about his room being directly beneath the Royal Bedroom."

"If it was them, I'm really not going to be pleased," Nick muttered. Feya shook her head, eyeing him a bit in amusement. "Nope~. They have too much fun in there to bother with…well, lube, I guess."

"Besides," Luna added, "why the hell would those two, of all people, need lube? They're female, for fuck's sake."

Red let out a groan of frustration, finally reaching her limit. "Goddammit! Nick, put your fucking clothes back on, and the rest of you, go to your stations! We'll deal with this shit later!"

"Now she decides to act like a Captain," Feya muttered, bringing out several snickers from Luna and Nick.

"I FUCKING HEARD THAT!"

-0-

_Clockwork Island_

The boat arrived at the island, and Serah's eyebrow rose. "This is supposed to be an amusement park? It doesn't look anything like it." _'In fact, it looks more like a deserted village of the future than anything.'_

Alex walked on shore first, his pistol out. He scanned the area briefly, and he gave Amy a nod. "We're clear." The Queen stepped down, and Milton followed suit. "This is Clockwork Island. It used to be a major tourist attraction some years ago."

"Used to?" Serah asked, noticing the past tense. _'What the hell happened to it then?' _She also didn't really like the lack of people. Or anything else that was living, for that matter.

Milton shrugged. "Don't know. Logan wanted to use Faraday's inventions for his own gain, and Faraday refused. Logan put him in prison for being a traitor, and Faraday said he would rather die than betray his inventions."

They walked up the path leading to the deserted village on the hill, and they stopped as something walked up to them. A robot.

The robot's mouth parted in what seemed to be a smile. "Greetings, visitors. I am Huxley, your guide of Clockwork Island. Please refrain from using obscene language in front of the children. Now, if you'll follow me, please."

Serah eyed the creation with narrowed blue eyes. "One part of me says it's not a threat because it's only a program, but the other says this thing also won't have any qualms about chopping us to bits since it has no emotions." _'It reminds me of the Elites. They were emotionless killers who slaughtered innocent civilians.'_

The images of New Alexandria, cloaked in fire and being bombarded with the plasma weapons from Covenant cruisers resurfaced, and Serah could hear the screams of the civilians as they were burned alive. She shook her head furiously, trying to push the disturbing images away. _'Why am I thinking of that now? It's been nearly two years since I was even on Reach.'_

Amy glanced over at her wife, and she could see that something wasn't right. Looking around to make sure Alex and Milton didn't overhear her, Amy whispered, "What's wrong?"

Serah rubbed the side of her head. "It's just…recently, I've been thinking about my original world, and I keep seeing it burning. Almost every time I close my eyes, I hear screams of innocents as they are burned alive."

She blinked, and was surprised to feel wetness snaking down her cheek. "And it's worse than that. When we were in the Pit, those screams brought up painful memories, ones that I thought I banished from my mind. But now, they keep resurfacing. I…I don't know what to do."

Serah felt Amy's lips connect with hers, along with her hands around her waist. "You were there for me before, when I saw the horrors of Logan's cruelty. Now, I'm here for you." Serah closed her eyes, wiping the side of her face. "Thank you." _'At least I know I can talk to someone.'_

They caught up with Alex and Milton and their robot guide pushed open to doors to the village. "Welcome to a typical Bowerstone suburb, 10 years from now. The future is already amongst us."

Out of the homes, several more robots stepped out, waving. Serah shivered and leaned closer to Amy. "Those things are really creepy. It feels like they're watching us." Amy glanced at her. "You feel it too then?"

Serah nodded and kept her hand on her rifle, prepared in case the creations suddenly became hostile. _'I don't like this feeling. It feels like an ambush.' _She glanced over at Alex, and the blonde Major seemed to be uneasy, too. _'And I'm not alone.' _"Blondie's on edge, too. Look; he is really keeping his wits about."

They walked into the futuristic neighborhood, and in the center was a large stone memorial. The man it was built for was old, and he had a pair of glasses on his face.

Alex read the small plaque at the bottom. "This is built in memoriam of Dr. Faraday; the father of creation, industry, and the future." He looked up at Serah and Amy. "This is what our target looks like, then. Shouldn't be too hard to find some old bloke."

Serah shook her head. "Trust me; I've had to do this kind of stuff before. It's not as easy as it sounds." _'Especially when I had to take out that bastard Maine. That fucker was really hard to find.'_

Milton looked around, seemingly impressed by the surroundings. "I'm starting to wish I paid a visit to this place sooner." Serah rolled her eyes as they approached a heavy steel gate. "I don't." _'Something's really not right. Any minute now, those damn things are gonna turn on us, and we'll be in a hell of a lot of trouble.'_

She glanced over at Alex, her blue gaze meeting his green. "Watch out. Something's not right. If I were you, I'd keep a weapon out." The blonde nodded and drew his pistol, keeping it aimed behind them.

The former Spartan drew her rifle, and her enhanced vision caught the outlines of some factories in the distance. "Smoke. Someone's there. You think it might be Faraday?"

Milton stroked his chin and approached the gate. "Possibly. It's also likely that some of his creations are running it, too. We'll never know unless we see."

Amy tried to push open the gate, but it began to crackle with electricity and she stumbled back in surprise. "What!?" She drew her sword, and they all heard an old voice rasp out from a loudspeaker.

"I know who you are, and I know why you're here! But it will never happen! Go away!" it rasped. Faraday.

"If violence is what you seek to gain from my creations, then you'll get it!" Faraday said angrily. The group turned around, and Huxley was walking away. "Now introducing the newest in combat engineering, the Devastator Mark V. We recommend all visitors leave at once. Thank you for your compliance."

The robots' eyes turned from green to red, and they began to spin with their arms, reminding Serah, Amy, and Alex of an enemy they fought nearly three months ago. Serah cursed and aimed her rifle at a robot. "They're like those fucking Minions! Stay clear of their arms!"

She lined up the sights, firing a pair of shots. The robot jerked twice before a blonde blur destroyed it. Alex then got kicked in the chest and he fell over, rolling to avoid being trampled to death.

He got up, spitting a mouthful of blood. "That really hurt." Amy pushed him out of the way, her wings growing from her shoulders. "I got this."

Her magic glowed in her hands, and she released a fiery storm from hell to wipe out a good portion of the robots. Serah and her switched places, the former Spartan drawing Avo's Lamentation. "Reversal!"

Amy nodded, having worked on the combat maneuvers before with her wife, and she used her pistol to take out as many as she could while Serah set to work on close combat.

Alex blocked a flurry of strikes, and he ducked as Serah jumped over him, kicking a robot's head off before she sliced it in half. "A warning might be nice!"

Serah scoffed and shot one in the distance with her rifle, keeping her eyes on the two in front of her. "You take the right. The left's mine." Alex nodded, a grin on his face as he dashed in, darting around heavy blows from the creation.

He built up his power, swinging when it was fully charged. The robot split in half, and Serah finished off the last one, sheathing her sword. "That was a bit more difficult than I expected."

One of the robots was still twitching on the ground, and Serah loomed over it, her rifle leveled at its head. "Die." She fired twice, and the rounds went through its head. The robot jerked one last time and died, bursting into pieces of scrap metal.

She looked at the fates, still crackling with electricity. "Unless we can blast through, we're gonna have to find another way around." Serah looked at Alex, thinking. _'Hm, I wonder if he could break it…he did when we were at the Mistpeak Monorail Station a long time ago, but he also had his magic then.'_

The blonde Major seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he narrowed his eyes and slowly drew his sword. "I have an idea. Stand back." He swung and quickly sheathed his sword, but the gates absorbed the blow, and he was thrown back several feet.

Alex got up, wincing. "Current discharge. Gave me quite a shock. Looks like we'll have to find another way." He had a blackened wound on his upper arm, and blood slowly trickled down.

Serah looked at the blackened flesh, and she was reminded of when a young Marine, only two years younger than Alex, suffered a severe plasma burn just like that. The image of his pained face and desperate screams as Plasma Rifle fire showered his body with third degree burns filled Serah's mind, and she tried to banish it. _'No…it's not like that, and never will! The Covenant doesn't exist here in Albion, and they won't ever come here. I have a new life, and that's all part of a past life of servitude.'_

She stopped, disgusted with the way she thought about her old Spartan career. _'I wasn't a fucking servant…and I never will. Being a Spartan was so much more than just being a fighter for humanity. It was about being a beacon of hope.'_

Serah made a fist over her chest, breathing heavily. _'And I still am. I can't let this bother me anymore. I have to concentrate on the future, not dwell in the past for the rest of my life.'_

She let out a sigh, looking at a possible new route to the left. "Over there. There's a small wooden barricade, but I think we can break through. It should lead us to another path that goes to those factories."

Alex pushed some hair out of his eyes before he suddenly sneezed. "Huh?" Amy let out an amused giggle. "Someone must be talking about you." Alex groaned and rubbed his nose. "It's probably Luna…damn girl can't ever stop coming up with creative insults about me."

Serah snickered and led them to the barricade, easily kicking it down with a powerful kick. On the other side was indeed another route, only this one had to be jumped down from. The former Spartan let out a sigh. "I'm glad I don't hate heights too much. Otherwise, I might have a heart attack." _'At least it's not as bad as the gorge in Brightwall.'_

Serah spotted something on a railing, and she titled her head. "What is that?" _'If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a diary of some sort.' _She picked it up, and sure enough, it was. It was a diary from Faraday, to be more precise.

'_King Logan himself is coming to the island, and he seems most eager to see my new creations! This is a blessed day, though I do hope he isn't after using them as weapons,' _Serah read silently. She tossed it over to Amy, who caught in one hand. "Hey, read this, love."

Amy read the entry, her green eyes narrowing. "You don't think that…"

"That Logan wanted to use those things as new weapons for the army? That is probably the case, and why Faraday was imprisoned for. My guess is he didn't want his creations to be killers," Serah suggested with a shrug. _'I'm actually starting to feel for this bloke. He's probably scared that we're going to kill him and use his creations for evil.'_

She let out a sigh and scanned the ground below for any hostile movement. _'But, we have to find him to know the whole story.' _"We're clear." The four jumped down, and the ground was littered in old machinery and parts.

Smoke was coming out of the tops of several factories up ahead, and that seemed to be the only place where anyone could be.

Serah scanned the area ahead, holding her hand up. "Wait a minute…there's something up there." Several bits of machinery moved, and they rose up to reveal what looked to be metal insects.

Serah groaned and fired, the bullets striking the robotic insects. "I fucking hate bugs…with a damned passion." _'At least they're not Drones. Those fuckers are beyond annoying.' _She fired again, and a hail of bullets from Amy's pistol took out three of them.

Milton was fighting up close, and he seemed to be a bit nervous. "Imagine if these things came into Albion! We would all be in danger!"

Alex let out a snort as he shot a pair of them, ducking from the metal parts. "No kidding." He spun around, pushing Serah out of the way to absorb a strike. "Behind you!"

Alex hit the ground, and Serah spun around, firing her rifle as she helped the blonde Major get back up. "Come on! Get your ass up!" _'We don't have time to be just dilly-dallying here all damn day.'_

Alex got up, wiping a slow trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "I ain't done just yet. I've been through much worse." Serah rolled her eyes and drew her sword, swinging at another metal bug. _'Yeah, like that damn torture of the Crawler's.'_

With the metal bug things dead, the four pressed on, heading deeper into the twisting factories.

Smoke started to rise higher from another factory, about a half mile away, and Serah narrowed her eyes. _'There.' _"I think I know where our target is." She pointed to the smoke, and Alex drew his pistol, looking through the scope. "Yeah. That's the only one that seems out of place."

The four walked around a bend, and Serah put her hand up. "Wait." _'There's one of the bastards right there!' _The former Spartan slowly drew her rifle, jerking her head to the side. "Commander, you and Alex flank right. Amy and I will stay here. But be careful; we don't want to alert our presence."

The blonde nodded, him and Milton dashing to the right and taking cover behind a pair of large crates, taking aim. _'Any ideas?'_ Alex mouthed over.

Serah shook her head slowly, until she looked up at one of the balconies running overhead. _'Wait a minute…I might have one after all.' _She looked over at Amy, about to tell her what she was thinking, when the robot's voice sounded out. "Thank you for playing, friend."

'_What the fuck was that about?' _Serah wondered, peering around. What she saw made her swear mentally. _'You have got to be fucking kidding me.'_

The robot was playing with what seemed to be a robotic dog, with a very ominous ticking coming from it. Serah ducked as she knew what would happen next. "Get down!" _'The thing's a bomb!'_

The dog exploded, taking out the robot in one blast. At the far end, a pack of them were waiting, and Milton glanced uneasily at them. "I doubt these dogs are here to play fetch with us."

The dogs began to charge, firing bullets, and Serah glanced up at the railing again. _'We can't afford to get up close and personal with these things.' _"Take them out from long range! When they start to tick, hit them with everything you got!"

After she got a nod from Alex and Milton, she turned to her wife. "I have an idea. I'll try and draw them towards here, and when I say mark, hit the railing with a Fire spell."

Amy nodded, giving her a quick kiss. "Be careful." Serah smirked as she drew her sword, the blade crackling with the Shock magic within. "You too, Little Red."

She caught Alex's eye, and the two shared a knowing nod. _'Time for that field maneuver we've been practicing.' _"Switch!"

Alex and Serah ducked, avoiding sprays of bullets fired from the dogs' mouths, firing. Alex held up his pistol. "Rifle!"

Serah threw her rifle, the weapon spinning, and Alex caught it one handed. He dropped into a crouch and fired four times, tossing his pistol to her. Serah caught it, spun, and fired three times, the accurate shooting taking out the metal creatures before they got too close for comfort.

Still, there were just so many of the damn things, and for every one they killed, two more took its place.

Seeing as sooner or later, they would be overrun, and the initial plan of having the balcony collapse on the robots was not a good option, Serah decided to test something out. _'This sword has Shock magic in it…I wonder if I can do it.'_

Serah twirled the blade in her hand, before striking it on the ground, and her hopes became reality as a bolt of lightning struck a good portion of the metal dogs, blowing them to bits. _'I can't believe that worked.'_

She then saw a pair of the full sized robots join the firefight. _'Or, maybe not…' _Serah glanced over towards her wife, Alex providing long range fire to cover her shorter range pistol. _'Maybe we can use that idea of mine…' _"Alex! You three focus on the dogs! I'll handle the big ones!"

The blonde grinned and tossed the former Spartan her rifle back. "Here. You'll need the extra kick." Serah chuckled and handed him his pistol. "Here's yours. You might get pissed if I get it banged up."

Serah turned back to the full size robots, providing the distraction. _'Let's dance.' _The robots' arms began to spin, and they charged her with surprising speed. Serah waited, ducking and parrying the heavy blows with ease. _'Defense is what this one is about.' _

The two robots continued to attempt to lay devastating blows, and each time, they were blocked by Avo's Lamentation, the blade holding up strong. Serah glanced up briefly, seeing she was right below that landing. "MARK!"

Amy launched a Fire spell, and the landing collapsed on the two robots, crushing them. Serah barely got out of the way, and she landed in a heap beside Amy and Alex. She looked up as she saw the destruction. "Wow, that actually worked."

One the robots survived, as the heap of rubble began to move. Serah groaned in annoyance. "Fuck, that didn't work." Alex chuckled as he walked over to it, shooting it in the head to finish it off. "I guess you could say that your plan 'fell apart?'"

Milton sighed, face-palming, while Amy let out a "Boo!" Serah rolled her eyes and smacked the blonde Major on the head. "Just…no." Alex rubbed the back of his head, not complaining about being hit (again). "I deserved that one at least…"

Serah groaned and placed her rifle across her back, leading the way. "That was the worst pun ever. "

"Of all time," Amy added, shaking her head. "Even Feya could have come up with something better than that."

"And that's saying something," Serah muttered. The mention of the happy yet perverted blonde soldier brought out a groan from Alex. "Please don't bring her up…I have a big enough handful with her as it is." Feya's antics were…in her words, cheeky and fun. Others described them as cruel and kinky. Including Alex, who has been on the receiving end of her shenanigans.

-0-

_Bowerstone Castle_

Luna, Nick, and a few other soldiers stood in front of Red, the young Captain seething. Walking back and forth, she tried to ignore the amount of…_something_ on the walls, but she eventually cracked. "You will be doing laps around Millfields. All of you."

"You can't rope us in with her!" Luna protested indignantly. Nick snorted. "Yeah, at least when we pull shenanigans, they're cheeky, fun, and usually harmless."

A soldier to his left, Michael, nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Feya's are just cruel and tragic. Which makes them…what's the word I want?" He looked over at the fourth soldier, Reny.

"Evil shenanigans?" Reny suggested, running a hand through his cropped hair. Michael snapped his fingers. "Yeah man, there you go."

Red faced them, her eyes slits. "I swear to God, I'm going to pistol-whip the next person who says shenanigans!"

After a few seconds, Nick smirked as a horrible idea popped into his head. _'We all fucking hate him so…' _"Hey Brian, what's the name of that place you like in Bowerstone? With all the goofy shit on the walls and the awesome ale?"

Brian popped his head in, curious. "You mean Shenanigans?"

Red growled angrily as Nick offered her his pistol. "Have fun." The young Captain stormed off, grabbing the weapon, and Nick high-fived Luna as several pained screams filled the hall. "Totally worth it." _**(XD see if you get this reference)**_

"By the way, Red does know that Feya is in the laundry room yelling at Reny and had nothing to do with this one, right?" Luna asked, smirking.

"Nope. And honestly, I prefer she doesn't. I'd hate to be the one caught, if you know what I mean." Nick and Michael chuckled, having managed to get off relatively easy compared to Brian, who was being pistol-whipped by their Captain.

-0-

_Clockwork Island_

Serah swore loudly as she saw the group of robots on the landing. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" On this island, there seemed to be absolutely no end to the amount of robotic creations roaming.

On this particular landing, there were all of the different varieties of the ones the four had previously fought. The full size ones; the dogs; and the metal bugs. It was like walking into a swarm of artificial life.

"Any ideas for us to get out of this one alive?" Alex asked, drawing his pistol. Serah shook her head and brought her rifle to bear. "Not really. Just take out the big fuckers and the dogs first. The bugs are only a nuisance." _'I'd be more concerned about being blown to bits though.'_

Alex nodded, glancing over at Milton. "You and Serah provide the long-range fire. The Queen and I will be up close and personal." The Commander nodded, not surprised at taking orders from a junior officers. "Consider it done, Major."

The Commander drew his rifle, lining up the sights and aiming at a full size robot. "Is it fun to be back in action, General?" Serah scoffed and aimed in, zeroing in on her target. "You have no idea." _'I never thought I'd say I miss the action, having used to live it every damn day.'_

She fired twice, the high velocity rounds tearing holes into the robot's armor. Still, it kept advancing, not feeling the pain. Serah called out a warning to Amy and Alex as she reloaded. "You got a tango coming in hot!"

Amy spun, slicing the robot in half with her wings sprouting. "Not anymore." Holstering her pistol, she began to run through the horde of robots, slicing them to bits with ease. Even the full sized ones dropped in half as the sharpened blade of her sword cut through the thick metal.

Even having fought side by side with her for quite awhile, Serah still was impressed by her wife's skill in combat. "Nice job Little Red." The Queen sheathed her sword, a taint of pink rising on her cheeks. "You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

Serah shook her head, leading the group forward again. "Never. This is a nickname that's going to stick." Amy blushed again, glaring as Alex started to snicker. "Don't you even start with me, Blondie." The Major fell silent, muttering under his breath. Serah swore she heard him mutter something about their sex life being directly above his quarters, but she wasn't sure. _'And I thought he finally stopped bitching about that.'_

They landed in a small, contained area, right in front of one of the factories. But Faraday wasn't there. Nobody was, for that matter.

Milton looked around, slightly nervous. "What if it wasn't really him? Just a recording? Maybe, he's been playing us!"

As soon as he stopped, a door opened, revealing a man in a powered armor suit that made him look like a robot.

It was Faraday, and he did not seem pleased to see them. "Is this the perfect soldier you were hoping for, Your Majesty? Then you'll get it!" He jumped into the air, and small rockets propelled him into the air before he landed with a massive tremor, taking out Milton easily. Alex was thrown into the door with a grunt of pain, and from the way his arm was bent, it was probably broken.

Serah felt a pang of pity for the older man, even as he advanced in a threatening manner after taking Alex out of the fight. _'I don't like the idea of killing him. It isn't right; if we do, we're no better than Logan. In fact, we're worse than him.'_

Serah shared a glance with Amy, the young Queen nodding silently. _'That suit may be able to survive bullets and sword strikes, but a good hit with magic should disable it.' _"Don't fight to kill. Aim to only wound."

Amy nodded again, drawing her sword and parrying heavy blows from Faraday. She lashed out with the handle of the sword, hoping to catch him in the head and knock him down, but Faraday was too quick. He may have been an old man, but he was an experienced fighter, most likely a former soldier himself. _'He's fast.'_

Serah swung the sword low, the blade catching Faraday in the legs. The older man let out a small grunt of pain and stomped on the ground again, forcing her to roll away. _'Up close and personal isn't the best idea. If we're hit by that tremor, we'll be done for.'_

Seeing as the old man was scared out of his mind and was fighting for his very life, Serah sheathed her sword, casting a powerful magic spell that disabled the suit, sending the man to his knees. The helmet fell off, and Faraday refused to look at them. "My life is over. Kill me now."

Milton hobbled over to them, Alex over his shoulder. "We should bring him to the Keep. We can heal his wounds there." Faraday rested on his knees, panting and bleeding from a few bullet wounds.

Serah backed up, letting Amy decide. "I'd say we heal him before setting him free. He did nothing wrong." Amy nodded, sheathing her sword and offering the old man her hand. "I'm not like my brother. We can treat your wounds."

-0-

_Ravenscar Keep_

Faraday sat in a chair, a few fresh bandages over his wounds. He looked up at Serah and Amy gratefully. "I shouldn't have been so hasty to judge you, Your Majesty."

Amy patted the old man's hand comfortingly. "Don't worry, sir. We know the truth, and your life will be returned when your wounds are healed." Faraday nodded, and he leaned back in his chair, his eyes closing. "It would be nice to have fresh air again…"

Amy and Serah left the father of industry, having given him his life and freedom back. Alex's arm was healing rapidly, and the blonde was still a little cross with being injured in the first place. But, he had enough respect for the older man to keep his comments to himself, giving only a polite nod before following the former Spartan and Queen.

They met Hobson, who was still in the room trying to find clues about Witchcraft Mary. "I've given the details to the Commander about the rather unpleasant sounding witch, Mary Godwin. But, there seems to be little to nothing about General Turner. It's almost like he's taken his records with him."

Serah rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Is the Commander at the docks?" _'Ugh, his voice makes me want to punch someone in the face. And hard.' _The advisor nodded, looking through the books again. "Yes, he is. Although this is starting to frustrate me, as I'm normally very good at piecing together puzzles such as this…I'll tell you if I get any information about the rogue General."

As much as she hated him, Serah could see from the dark rings around his eyes that Hobson was in fact putting in an honest effort. _'He doesn't like the idea of renegades roaming the land any more than we do.' _"Good. The three of us will be on our way."

Hobson nodded again and dove back into the books, the three walking out of the prison and meeting the Commander back at the docks.

Milton wiped some sweat off of his brow as he saw them. "I can't tell you how much I'm starting to enjoy this. I've spent too many years behind a bloody desk." All three of them chuckled, Amy smiling slightly. "I know exactly how you feel."

Milton chuckled, stroking his mustache and waving them aboard the ship. "Shall we go?"

With the four on the ship, they set out after the second prisoner, although this one, unlike Faraday, would prove to actually be a threat to others and herself.

_**Save game…Quit!**_

_**A/N: Heh heh! I promised a longer chapter for this fic, so here you go! I'm enjoying it a lot, and Witchcraft Mary's section is up next. Any comments or feedback is greatly appreciated.**_

_**Ja'ne!**_


	4. The Menagerie

_**A/N: I am sorry for not getting this story's fourth chapter done sooner. I originally had the next four chapters done, but my laptop died a brutal, brutal death (courtesy of my .40 and shotgun after it decided to not start up and the screen committed suicide) and I had to get a new one. But, here's the long awaited chapter 4!**_

_**Load game…Start!**_

***The Menagerie***

_Godwin Estate_

As the ship approached the island where the Godwin Estate was located, Alex tried to stay focused on their objective and ignore the dull pain in his arm. He was lucky to have not suffered anything else after being thrown into a heavy metal door. _'I need to stop letting myself get bashed around so much. At this rate, it won't be long before I end up six feet under.'_

He looked down at the shore, drawing his pistol and looking through the scope on the side. _'Clear. Let's hope it stays that way.' _Yet almost as he thought it, he laughed mentally. _'We're hunting down a witch who's supposedly incredibly insane and nuts. Knowing our luck, she'll have a giant bloody Balverine zoo or something.'_

Alex glanced over to his right, and he saw Serah quietly talking with Amy as the ship docked. He was glad that he wasn't able to hear the conversation; it probably involved whatever was bothering the General. _'And it's something big. I think the amount of time she's spent fighting on the front lines is starting to affect her. She's about the same age as me, and yet she's been through twice as much Hell as me.'_

Serah hugged Amy, murmured something, and got up, drawing her rifle from her back and scanning the beach before she jumped down onto the shore, sand kicking up under her feet. "Let's move."

Amy landed next to her, shivering slightly from the ocean breeze. "It's getting chilly…and dark." Alex looked up at the sky and swore mentally. _'Shit. We don't have enough time to cover this island before dark.' _The sun was already setting behind the horizon, and they had only just landed.

Alex hated being in unfamiliar territory to begin with, but the darkness made it only worse. He spent months being tortured by the Crawler in an inky black cave in the Auroran Desert, and to say he hated dark creepy caves in the middle of nowhere was an understatement.

Milton looked around at the winding path leading up to the mansion, stroking his mustache in confusion. "I still don't get what Turner is after here. This is everything he despises: old wealth, aristocracy, and particularly gruesome experiments."

"Then there's a good reason for it," Serah pointed out, helping Amy down from the ship. "He'll assume that we think it's too low for him to stoop. Though saying those experiments were gruesome is putting it lightly. I nearly lost my last meal after reading some of that."

Alex chuckled and brushed some strands of his slightly too long hair out of his face, silently thanking Avo that he didn't read into any of them. If an iron-stomached soldier such as Serah could get sick reading about them, then he wouldn't fare any better. "Then I'm glad I didn't read them." _'If she's a disturbed as the rumors say she is, then meeting her face-to-face won't be pretty, either.'_

Amy let out a soft sigh. "If possible, I'd like to take Mary back alive. There's still a slim chance that we can get her treatment and use some of her experiments for medicinal purposes. I shudder to think of the others roaming the mainland."

Alex walked ahead of her, the hair on the back of his neck rising as they walked up the winding path and past some statues of snarling Balverines. "Real pretty. Reminds me of my buddy's ex-wife." He heard Serah let out a low whistle, a smirk on her face. "Cold-blooded~!"

Milton shook his head as he glanced at the disturbing statues. "I heard that the Godwin family had very…peculiar notions about art. It's no wonder Mary turned out the way she did. She probably spent her entire childhood looking at these damn things every day."

"If I did, then I'd want to be blind," Serah muttered, walking past the statues. "Though I'd miss looking at Sexy Red over there." The Queen blushed to the roots of her equally red hair, now starting to grow out quite a bit past her shoulders. "Serah!"

The General laughed and butted her head against her shoulder. "What? Major Killjoy has heard plenty worse, especially during the time when I had handcuffed you to the royal bed and-"

"Please don't say anymore. I hear enough of that from being directly under you, and Feya isn't helping," Alex sighed, rubbing his temples. The happy-go-lucky blonde was always talking about how much hearing massive moans from upstairs during the most ungodly hours of the night got her 'excited'. And everyone (including the now mentally scarred new recruits) knew what she meant by that. _'Damn girl's a handful…though pretty good-looking, too.'_

Alex slapped himself mentally. _'Why the hell am I thinking of that? Come on…stay focused and capture this nutcase of a witch before you even think about women.' _He shook himself, checking that his pistol was fully loaded and ready to handle a nasty firefight if they got into one. _'And knowing our luck, the minute we round a corner, we're going to get jumped by a Balverine pack, if these damn disturbing statues indicate anything.'_

The pistol Alex used as his firearm had quite the history. It was heavily modified, able to hold an additional three rounds in a single clip for a total of nine shots and a small scope on the side for better accuracy. It used to belong to one hell of a shot by the name of Captain Willow Star, but after she was killed by during a bandit ambush in Mistpeak, Alex used the weapon to slay every single bandit who took part in the attack. _'You always bragged that you could beat the legendary Wicker in a duel…if Reaver wasn't an arsehole and murdered him.'_

Alex then froze as they came across another set of Balverine statues. Except these ones were black in color, and they moved. _'Goddammit…I jinxed it.' _Behind him, he could hear Milton sigh. "Oh look; they're alive."

Serah let out a scoff as she drew her rifle, firing. "Yeah, we noticed. Now do us a favor and help get rid of the bastards." Milton chuckled as he drew his rifle, sliding a clip in. "Oh, you don't have to ask me twice. I'm allergic to dogs."

Alex sighed and glanced over his shoulder, ducking as a round from Serah's rifle struck a Balverine he hadn't noticed behind him. The beast roared in pain before hitting the grass, dead. "I have an idea." _'I know it's technically impossible…but haven't I been doing the impossible for many years now?' _

Serah hissed as she withdrew her sword from the chest of a dead Balverine. "Then get on with it. But I swear to God, if you make a very shitty pun, you are sharing your room with Feya from now on." Alex gulped slightly, for that was MUCH worse of a punishment that it seemed. She was possibly, in a way, the most perverted soldier in the history of Albion. "Please don't…don't you remember what happened to Private Georgia?"

Georgia used to be a member of Feya's squad, and he somehow ended up in the ocean following a rather traumatic event during the testing of a new mortar. Except when he did test it, Feya decided to hit the pub and to this day, has no idea what the hell happened. And she's good when it comes to remembering shit going horribly wrong.

"Wait, what happened to Georgia?" Milton asked, ducking under a swipe before slashing a Balverine's chest open. Alex shook his head, rolling away from a pair of the wolf-like monsters. _'Question of my damn life.' _"We don't know. We never found him." _'The kid's probably alright. He's a strong swimmer. Probably ended up on some island paradise, surrounded by beautiful women and drinking a coconut cocktail. Jammy bastard.'_

Being the lone Major in the Albion army, vacations were far and few between for him. The last one he had was a few months before the Crawler attack, when he took his men to one of the pubs in Bowerstone Market. There were plenty of drunken dances that not only almost got them kicked out, but it gave Alex an endless supply of blackmail material. _'Still would've been worth it. The boys needed a night out.' _

Alex then sheathed his sword, rolling up his sleeves for his technically impossible plan. He grabbed a Balverine by the throat, ripped its skull out of its head, and began to beat it to death. Behind him, Amy and Serah looked at each other in confusion. "That doesn't seem physically possible…"

The Balverine roared in agreement before falling in a heap, dead. Alex tossed the skull away, wiping the blood off of his hands before grinning. "I think it'll be feeling a little…light-headed." _'I know I'm probably digging my own grave, but I can't resist making the pun.'_

Milton face-palmed, Amy let out another loud, "Boo!" and Serah slapped him hard on the cheek before walking away. "That's it. You're spending the rest of your days trapped with Feya." Alex groaned, rubbing his cheek as it began to sting. _'Fuuuuuck.' _"Do I really have to? I haven't forgotten the last time I ended up in the same room as her. Remember how long it took for me and Red to explain everything and clean up?"

The previous experience of Alex and Feya being in the same room had not ended well, to say the least. He had walked in on her, and there really isn't any other way to put it, touching herself. And when he did enter, _something _ended up on the sheets, floor, and part of Alex's uniform. The maids weren't too happy when they heard about that one, and neither was Red as she also ended up with Feya's bodily fluids on part of her uniform. _'I can't actually believe she's a fucking squirter…and Nick still calls bullshit to this day.' _

Serah chuckled as she recalled the event, including the image of a shirtless Alex furiously scrubbing his uniform and the maids stopping to observe the topless Major. "Oh yeah…but look on the bright side. You earned yourself a new fanclub consisting of ninety percent of the female staff. You might get lucky."

Milton looked towards Alex with a curious expression, his mustache twitching. "Is this what goes on in the castle?" The blonde Major sighed and rubbed his head. "Sadly, yes. I'm heavily considering putting in a request to change my quarters from directly underneath the bloody Royal Bedroom to next to a damn shooting range." _'Though I suppose it could be worse…me and Feya could be the ones up there.'_

'_Oh good God…no! She drives me nuts; she's beyond fucking perverted, and who knows how many times she's pulled one of her evil shenanigans on me.' _For some reason, every single reason he thought of the happy-go-lucky blonde, it was with a massive heat rushing to his face and chest. _'When I get back to the mainland after this, the first thing I'll be doing is hitting the pub. I'm sure Luna could help ease Red.' _

He felt a pang of pity for the young Captain. She was incredibly young for an officer in the army; at seventeen, she was two years younger than Alex was when he was a Captain serving under King Logan. She also had lost her older sister in the major battle several months ago; Mira was the CO of the Desert Outpost in the sands surrounding Aurora, and it was the first place to be attacked. Not a single soldier in the fortress survived, and Mira was the last to go. She had died fighting, but it didn't help ease Alex's guilt. _'I shouldn't have put her in charge there…we knew the men and women we sent there would have an extremely slim chance of surviving, and yet we did it anyway.'_

Alex hated the ugliness of having to be willing to send the men and women he loved as soldiers to their deaths, but as the ranking officer, it was something he had to do. _'Sacrificed hundreds for millions…I'll still burn in Hell for it.' _

He then shivered as the sun completely set, sending the remote island into an inky darkness. _'Oh great…we're stuck in hostile territory that's also unfamiliar, surrounded by possibly an army's worth of unseen enemies, and we have to capture a crazy witch who is inside the massive mansion and probably plotting something insane.' _"We need to hurry."

"You don't say," Serah muttered dryly, stopping as they reached a rather disturbing sight. It was a graveyard, and more sickeningly, many of the graves were dug up, with no corpses inside. _'Who the hell has a damn graveyard on their property, apart from stupid cults and mad witches?' _The very thought of someone extremely deluded coming here to dig up graves greatly disturbed the blonde Major.

Milton grimaced as he saw the sight. "One of the many ugly rumors about Witchcraft Mary is necromancy. I don't like to think it's true, but someone has definitely been digging up corpses. And I'm not too sure I want to know the bloody reason why."

Serah looked at the heavy metal gate, which looked older than Hobson. "I'm starting to really get annoyed with these damn gates. Blondie, kick this one down. Not like there's an electric barrier surrounding it." Alex rolled his eyes as he holstered his pistol. "Gee, thanks for the reminder." _'There's no lock on it…I should be able to kick it down in one hit.'_

He raised his knee to his chest before lashing out, the rusted hinges breaking before the gate tumbled with a clash. "Well…the door is open and we're invited. Let's move." The loud crash was sure to draw attention, and it made Alex wary. Every little rustle in the bushes could have been an enemy, and every shadow was a perfect hiding place. _'I really don't like this…I can feel something or someone staring hard at me, and yet I can't bloody see them.' _

For some reason, he thought about what would happen to his room in his absence. He wasn't worried too much about Nick or Red going in for some of Alex's secret liquor stash; they always replaced it afterwards. He was more concerned about a certain pyromaniac named Luna and her massive pervert of a sidekick Feya. _'I have a feeling that either the walls are going to be covered in Feya's bodily fluids or on fire. Goddammit Luna…who the hell taught you to play with fire?'_

When the two of them were in Saker's Mercenary Camp, Luna was known for leaving random barrels full of gunpowder lying around and occasionally shooting them for her own enjoyment. And many times, she also set some poor bastard on fire in the process. Many of the tombstones in the camp read the same thing: 'Got too close to a pyromaniac shooting at barrels filled with gunpowder'.

He then shivered as the harsh winds bit and nipped at his exposed hands. _'I thought I was done with having to deal with the bloody cold…' _In Mistpeak, where the camp was located, Alex was in charge of leading groups of assassins to the Dweller Camp. In the summers, it wasn't so bad. In the winters, however, it was really, really cold; he nearly got frostbite dragging a fellow assassin out of the icy waters next to the camp.

They stopped at another gate, although this one was protected by a powerful electrical current. An annoyed hiss of, "Son of a bitch" from Serah told him that it was the same story with the other gates. Alex sighed as he looked at the gate. "I seriously hope you don't want me to try and get myself electrocuted to death by attempting to kick these down."

Milton shook his head, taking off his hat to ruffle his hair. "I don't think we'll be able to get around it. We'll need to disable them before we can do anything." He took a closer look, stroking his mustache. "Hmm…there should be a generator close by. The only thing that worries me is that this doesn't look anything like Faraday's handiwork; his is much more stunning and beautifully crafted. This looks very crude; I wouldn't be surprised if a bloody group of Hobbes built the damn thing."

Alex spotted a large electric generator, and he pointed to it. "There you go. I don't know a damn thing about electronic shit though, except that it never works when you need it to." _'Damn…we should have brought Red with us. She's good with this kind of crap.' _

Milton stroked his enormous mustache again as he walked over to it. "Hmmm…it looks a tad bit like the generator in the Keep's Torture Chamber. But, it's going to take awhile to disable though." He rolled up his sleeves, ready to start working on it, when a loud alarm started to blare. "Oh bloody hell! That's the alarm! Dammit, she must have rigged the bloody thing. Keep them off me!"

Several wisps appeared, and Hollow Men unlike any that the foursome had ever seen appeared. Instead of being solid, they looked like ghosts. _'What the hell is this!? Has Mary created Hollow Men!?' _Alex then thought about the dug up graves, and he shivered. _'That's why she was digging them up…' _

He drew his pistol and fired, only for the bullet to pass through the ghost Hollow Man harmlessly. _'Oh bloody hell…how the hell do you fight a damn ghost!?' _He rolled out of the way of a cleaver, and a glance to his left told him that Serah and Amy were having the same issue. "They're more ancient than any other Hollow Men we've fought! There must be a way to make them solid!"

Milton, meanwhile, was sweating as he tried to disable the tricky generator. "I've never seen such wiring…keep them off me a little longer!" Serah let out a soft hiss, annoyed. "Great. You get to play with electronics while we cover you from getting chopped in half. Let me know when it's my time for a fucking break, will you?"

Alex backed onto a massive circle with a Hollow Man head on it, and as the Hollow Men pursuing him reached the circle, they became solid again. _'That's it! We have to lead them into the circle!' _"Lead them here! I'll take care of them!"

He spotted a pair of shadows drop down from some of the trees, and he called out another warning. "Balverines! Coming in from your left!" _'Must be reinforcements or sentries.' _Serah jerked her head over to Amy, her sword in hand. "Cover Milton from any that get by us." The young Queen nodded, raising her sword in one hand with her pistol in the other.

Surprisingly, the Balverines seemed to cooperate with the Hollow Men, something that neither of them had ever seen. Usually, the two species would fight to the bitter end. But here, on the island that was full of surprises, they worked together as they made their way towards the two. _'This is what Turner wants. He couldn't care less about some old witch; he wants her experimental creatures.'_

Serah looked over at Alex, twirling her sword in her hand. "Any ideas?" The blonde Major shook his head, grinning cheekily. "No. I was just going to make it up as the fight goes on, as usual. Which isn't much of a bloody plan, I'll admit." _'I'm not going to try and do the physically impossible; that was just dumb luck and complete lack of physics.'_

Serah scoffed as she swung her sword, a bolt of lightning electrocuting a Balverine to death. "Seriously, how the bloody hell did you manage to rip out a Balverine's skull and then beat it to death with it? That's not physically possible." Alex shrugged, smiling as he parried a series of blows before slicing a Balverine's chest open. "I really don't know. But, please tell me you were kidding about locking me in a room with Feya. I can't be in the same room as her, as you remember."

The pink-haired General grinned back, not looking as she stabbed a Balverine in the throat. "Hmm, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you~?" Alex gulped, rolling away from a pair of Balverines before shooting them. "You are just as bad as she is, you know?" _'I can't do it for a reason…do I actually like her?'_

Serah shrugged innocently, casting a Shock/Ice Storm spell to take out the remaining Balverines. "Hey, at least I don't make incredibly terrible puns." Milton walked over to them, wiping his forehead. "That was really tricky to disable. It was nothing like Faraday's technology; otherwise I would have been able to get it done in a heartbeat."

Amy ruffled her hair, pushing the gate open slowly. "I'd like to lie and say I enjoyed fighting those bloody ghost things…but you'd be able to see just how big of a lie it is from bloody Aurora." Alex and Serah laughed, but as they reached the mansion, they let out groans of frustration. The winding path to the mansion was blocked by massive boulders, some the size of a small building.

Alex looked at the rubble, shaking his head. "Well…either we can try and wade our way through this and risk breaking every bloody bone we have, or we can be smart and try to find another way inside instead. I vote for plan B." _'There's no way we can get through this…we'd risk breaking our legs, and then we'd be crippled in hostile territory with no help or medical attention for hours.' _

Milton looked at it as well, shaking his head. "I don't think Witchcraft Mary risked her life trying to get through this. If she did, then either she would be crippled or we would see the blood on the rocks. They're just too massive, and some of them have moss on them."

The Commander then pointed to a massive hole in the rock face underneath the mansion. "How about that? It seems more like Mary's style, anyway." Alex let out a sigh, steeling himself to go into yet another deep, dark, creepy cave in the middle of nowhere. _'Great…I hate not being able to see where the ruddy hell I'm going.' _

They walked into the cave, and it was hard for any of them to see more than five feet, making Alex wish he was gifted with the Will Serah and Amy were. _'I'd be able to use a damn Fireball spell to light my way…' _

The General and Queen had the same idea, because they each lit a small flame in their hand to see where the hell they were going. "That's much better…" Alex rolled his eyes, straining to see where he was stepping. It was incredibly dark, and even with Serah and Amy providing light, it was near impossible to see anything farther than five feet. _'Well…this is bloody perfect. I can't see anything for maybe six feet, and I have no idea if there's a nasty surprise waiting for me.' _

The cave thankfully opened up, and they were in the basement of the mansion. Serah spotted one of Witchcraft Mary's diaries, opened it, and grimaced. "Ugh. I really did not need to bloody see that. The thought of someone even attempting that is disgusting. No wonder your ugly-ass advisor threw up after reading these things. I'd say we put Mary in a special institution, if we capture her alive; she needs far more help than the Keep provides."

"Gee, I wonder what gave you that impression," Milton and Alex muttered at the same time, earning a glare from the General. "Unless you want to suffer the same fate as Blondie, I'd advise you to not join in on his comments."

Alex grimaced, though he gave her a cheeky grin. "I thought about getting into the knock-knock joke business, too. I would tell you some, but I have a horrible, horrible feeling you'll try feeding me to a Balverine or that stupid Dark Sanctum cult in Mourningwood." _'Which I don't plan on.'_

Serah scoffed and brandished her rifle, recently replaced after her last one got shattered in the Crawler attack during a fight with a Sentinel. "You're damn right. That would really send me over the edge, and trust me; you do not want to see what happens when that does." Alex rolled his eyes, looking at his sword. "I'll take your word for it. Now I can see which one of you wears the pants in the relationship." _'Well, that should be plainly obvious. I don't think I've ever seen the Queen wear anything other than a combat skirt.' _

The General grinned and pointed to Amy's bare lower legs. "Well, duh. I wear pants; she wears skirts." The redhead sighed and blushed, looking away. "I knew you would make that joke…" Serah gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaning close. "We could always make a lot of…noise when we get back to Bowerstone. That way, if Hobson does walk in, he'll actually shut up and be silent for once."

Alex sighed and rubbed his temples, groaning. "Lovely. I'll know when to wear a pair of bloody earplugs, then." _'Hearing which one of you is on top of the other does more than just keep me up at night. During that, I have to deal with a Goddamn pervert called Feya!'_

The passageway opened up, and they were actually inside the mansion itself. The hallways had heavy oak paneling, and the smell of cigar smoke made the blonde Major feel claustrophobic. _'This is really not good…but I came with them because I swore an oath. I promised to serve my Queen to the death, and I meant that. Turner wouldn't get away with getting rid of the monarchy; the people regard Amy and Serah as the saviors of Albion.'_

On the oak walls were many paintings. Some were made by some of Albion's finest painters; others looked as if they were a child's very first doodle or drawn by a drunken Hobbe. _'This place is starting to give me a bloody headache…' _

They entered a room, and Alex stopped the group from going any further. _'Oh bloody hell…this is getting ridiculous.' _"Wait. We have sleeping company." On the floor was a large group of Hobbes, all of them asleep and unaware of the four standing only five feet away.

Milton sighed and rubbed his temples. "Hobbes. Lovely. I was just wondering when the ruddy hell we were going to run into them. It was getting a little too boring." His slightly sarcastic remark earned a few snickers from Alex and Serah, and the four started to slowly creep towards the door when a loud male voice shouted, "And a one! And a two! And a three!"

Alex growled in frustration and glared at Milton, who shook his head and pointed to something above the door. "I think it was that…" They looked up at a fish mantle, and sure enough, it started to sing loudly, making Serah face-palm. "Is the fucking fish seriously singing?" Alex sighed in agreement, looking backwards as the Hobbes jumped up, now wide awake. "This is beyond ridiculous…" _'Of all the incredibly daft shit I have seen, this takes the damn cake.'_

The generator in the corner of the room struck the Hobbes, turning them a red color. _'What the hell is this?' _Alex raised his pistol and fired, along with Amy, Serah, and Milton. The hail of gunfire would have killed any normal group of Hobbes, but whatever Mary had done to them, it enhanced their DNA and they split into smaller green Hobbes. "They split into smaller Hobbes!"

"We noticed!" Serah returned dryly, slamming the butt of her rifle into a Hobbe's skull. The smaller green Hobbe then split into a pair of even smaller blue Hobbes, the General hissing in frustration. "Are you fucking kidding me!?"

Alex rushed forward, getting incredibly fed up with the damn DNA altered Hobbes. _'I have had enough of this crap…' _He sliced as fast as he could, getting more irritated as the stupid fish on the mantle kept singing in its obnoxious voice. "Someone shoot the damn thing!"

His sword, like his pistol, had a long and bloodstained history. The legendary Sparrow used the weapon during her final confrontation with Lord Lucien, and she also used it to squash a rebellion that happened during her rule. She gave the sword to Alex's grandfather, a master swordsman serving under her, and he used it to completely crush the Temple of Shadows alongside her. Eventually, after Alex became a Captain under King Logan, he gave it to him just before dying of old age.

As he got close to the generator, a strong electric shock threw him backwards. He grunted as he got to his feet, his sword having fallen out of his hand. _'Bloody hell…' _Alex spotted his sword on the floor in a corner on the far side of the room, and he launched himself towards it, avoiding the bullets from the others in the process. "We need that generator taken out!"

Amy charged up a magic spell, and in a few seconds, she released a powerful Fire/Vortex spell, destroying the generator and finishing off the remaining altered Hobbes. And much to everyone's relief, the damn fish had shut up. Milton rolled his eyes as he placed his rifle across his back, wiping the horrible scent of Hobbe blood off his sword. "At least the bloody fish has stopped singing. Hopefully, we've closed the gap on Mary."

"Don't celebrate just yet," Alex returned, pushing the door open. "When we do, though, I'll buy you all the booze in Albion and hire a bard." Milton chuckled briefly before stroking his mustache, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Something bothering you, Major? You seem a little…distracted at times."

'_He's very observant,' _Alex noted. "Two things. One: we don't really need to stick to formalities. Two: how the hell did you notice it when even the other two haven't?" _'Bloody hell…this is slightly awkward. I hope he doesn't decide to guess why I'm bothered.'_

Milton gave him a small smile. "Believe it or not, I am a normal man who loves the pub and women as much as the next man when I'm not working to put a halt to anarchy. And stop me if I'm wrong, but I'd say it's a woman." Alex faced him, surprised. "How…?" _'Oh Goddammit…I thought that it was hard to read.' _

The Commander grinned cheekily, checking to make sure his rifle was loaded. "Trust me kid; I know a lot about attracting a fair lady. Has this lass of yours got a name?" Alex glanced backwards to make sure that Serah and Amy weren't listening in on him before answering, heat rising to his face. "F-feya." _'Oh for fuck's sake, get a damn grip. You're a Major in the Albion army; you should be able to say a girl's name without stuttering like a star-struck schoolboy.'_

Milton nodded approvingly, giving his facial hair a slight twirl. "Very pretty name. Is she as good-looking as her name suggests?" The blonde Major looked away, feeling slightly awkward about going through what could only be described as love counseling with the Commander. _'Now that I really think about it…she is.'_

Despite the fact that she was a pervert who pulled one of her evil shenanigans on just about everyone in the army, Feya was a very attractive young woman. She was definitely more than worthy of a few wolf-whistles or a really awful pick-up line every drunk bastard tries in the pub every time a good-looking girl passes them by. Whoever got her would be a very lucky chap indeed.

With each passing second, Alex thought of more ways the two of them were alike. They were both blonde, tall, excellent shots, could hold their liquor better than just about everyone else in the castle (apart from Luna), and both enjoyed kicking the crows out of the kitchen whenever the damn birds decided to invade. And neither of them knew what the hell happened to Georgia.

But something else was also nagging the Major. He had loved someone once before, more than five years ago. But she was killed in the first encounter with the Crawler during King Logan's expedition to Aurora. _'Alana…I swore to love you until Death himself came knocking on my door. By feeling this way towards Feya, am I breaking the promise I made so long ago?'_

"Yes, she is," Alex answered finally, slumping his shoulders in defeat. "But how the hell do I tell her? I mean, how do I know she feels the same way back?" _'Everyone in the castle knows the story of how Red ended up in her quarters for 'orders'. Either she really loves swinging both ways, or she just doesn't care. The second one is more likely; Nick and I did spot her dragging that maid Alexis into her room even though she was straighter than a ruler. Well…she was until Feya came along.'_

Milton chuckled and slapped him lightly on the back. "Just be yourself, kid. No tricks, no stupid pick-up lines that I have heard my men say way too often, and no pretending to be that you are tougher, stronger, and more handsome than that one burly bloke who sits in the corner of the pub. That last one usually doesn't end too well. Took me hours to help the owner clean up the blood and spilled beer." Alex gave the man a strange look, trying hard not to snicker. "Not too sure I want to know…" _'The Commander seems to be full of entertaining stories from his youth…though sadly, now is not the time or the place.' _

Milton chuckled again, looking in front of them. "I won't tell you then." At least he knew how to take a hint, unlike a certain couple who was with them. Alex then stopped as they reached a room with another generator and a wisp floating near the ceiling. _'Oh bloody hell…I hope this isn't going to end up in another stupid ghost summoning.' _

"At least there's only one damn wisp," Milton muttered. As soon as he said that, the wisp soared down and created a Summoner Hollow Man like they had never seen. It was slightly taller, with two balls of flame igniting in its hands, which also carried two large blades. Serah hissed and turned to the Commander, her eyes narrowed into slits. "You just had to say something, didn't you?"

The Summoner Hollow Man roared, summoning more Hollow Men to surround and pick them off, one by one. Alex crouched down, jerking his head towards the generator. "Milton, you know how that rubbish works. Disable it while we try and buy as much time as possible." _'These damn things look as though they can use Fire magic…dammit. Witchcraft Mary has altered more species of creatures.' _

The Queen hissed in frustration as the Hollow Men protecting the main one closed in on her, slashing wildly at the air. "Serah, you and I need to divert their attention. Let Alex handle the main bastard; he's more than capable of it."

The General glanced back at Alex, who nodded slowly. _'I can take it.' _"Don't worry. I'll find some really dumb way to win. Always do, don't I?" Serah sighed and grabbed her rifle from her back, sliding a clip in and firing. "It's all yours. But if you get critically injured, we're dragging your ass out and find another way of getting Mary out of this madhouse."

Alex scoffed and faced the Summoner Fire Hollow Man, ducking under a swipe from the massive blades. "When do I ever play carefully?" _'I haven't played it safe for years. That's what it means to be a soldier under the crown.' _Amy was the second ruler he served, King Logan being the first. And out of the two, even though she was much younger, Amy was the better ruler. She was more thoughtful and considerate, and she always put the needs of her people and safety of the kingdom before her own personal gain. Not to mention she saw just how useful Faraday was to the kingdom's economic and industrial boom. _'I don't think Logan would have spared Faraday; he probably would have him publicly executed, like what he did to Major Swift.'_

When he was close enough, he kicked out, hoping to trip the massive undead creature before he could slice it in two. But the monster was full of surprises, and it launched a Fire spell at him.

He took the brunt of the magic attack, and he grimaced as his leg was burned. _'Oh soddit…there's another injury to add onto my already long list.' _He landed awkwardly, and the Summoner Fire Hollow Man slashed down with its blades, hoping to cut the blonde Major in half.

Alex swung the scabbard of his sword up, blocking the heavy blow with a grunt. _'You're not going to kill me that easily.' _Keeping the blade from chopping his head off with the scabbard, he slashed out with his sword, cutting the undead creature's hand off. It roared in fury and its remaining hand began to glow with intense fire magic. _'This thing is pissed…I wonder if I can still do it.'_

When he did battle against Amy, who was much younger and a lot less experienced in battle at the time, he had absorbed her Fire attack and used it against her, a tactic that worked when he still had his offensive magical abilities. But after he killed the Crawler, all of the magic that was in his left eye disappeared, as its source was destroyed. Still, he did retain some of his passive abilities, such as his speed, healing, and hopefully his ability to absorb magic attacks within his sword. _'Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out.'_

Alex got up, giving the Summoner Fire Hollow Man the middle finger with crude gusto. "Oi! Big undead fucker! How about a roasted chicken for your lunch?" _'If this goes wrong, I'm going to look like a massive pillock.' _He readied his sword, bracing himself to time it the attack. The enhanced Hollow Man launched the Fire spell, and Alex raised his sword, gritting his teeth before slamming it back into its sheath, the Fire attack absorbed. _'Heh…it bloody worked.' _He swung his sword, and the stream of fire destroyed the Summoner Hollow Man, the undead creature falling into a heap of burnt bones and rags. _'And stay dead.' _

He wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow, cracking his neck as he heard the unmistakable sound of Hollow Men dying behind him, along with an annoyed growl from Serah. "I'm getting tired of these damn things. When we're done with this, I am going to be spending a lot of time drinking with my love."

Amy blushed to the roots of her hair, holstering her pistol. "Serah!" The General laughed and kissed her head, petting her hair. "Have I ever told you how cute you are when you blush?" Alex rolled his eyes, sighing as he turned back to Milton, who had disabled the generator. "This is what I have to deal with on a daily basis."

The Commander chuckled and wiped his hands. "I'm starting to get a hang on Mary's crude technology. I certainly hope that we're not too late for the witch's tea party." Alex grunted, thinking about what he had said when it came to love advice. "I don't like the idea of insane people as company. If I have to drink tea with her, I'll be retiring much earlier than expected." _'No tricks…just be who I am? That's easier said than done.'_

Serah kicked down a wooden door that refused to budge, and the four of them found themselves in another part of the mansion's basement. Along the halls were cases and barrels of alcohol, some of it probably incredibly old judging by the amount of cobwebs on them. _'Now that is a waste of perfectly fine liquor…Luna would be PISSED if she saw this.' _The former mercenary drank more than what should have been physically possible, but she still hasn't gotten major liver damage, making just about every maid believe that she was immune to liver cancer.

On a small wooden table, there was another one of Mary's diaries, and Serah paused to pick it up and flick through it, grimacing. "Ugh. I hope this is a misprint." Alex took the diary, and he held his hand over his mouth in disgust. _'You're bloody kidding me…she's made White Balverines even more powerful? I'm not sure I want to battle one of these altered Poison Balverines.' _"I hate to tell you this, but it isn't one. She really has done it. The mad witch has somehow given White Balverines venomous capabilities."

Amy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well…if there are any in this place, we need to exterminate them before they get loose in Albion. The country would be terrified if those things got loose in the mainland, especially Millfields; they have enough trouble with bandits and the occasional normal Balverine pack. We don't need to add to the region's troubles."

'_Saying everyone would be scared is a big understatement; there would be mass panic, riots, and Avo knows what else,' _Alex thought, walking down a flight of wooden stairs as they entered some sort of underground lab. He then put his arm out to stop them, hiding behind a table. "That's Mary!" _'Bloody hell…we could end this madness right here and now. All it takes is a single shot to her leg…'_

Witchcraft Mary didn't look anything like they expected. They thought that Mary would be the crazy old lady with stringy gray hair, a crooked nose, a black cat, and the pointed hat like every mother said in their bedtime stories to scare their children into sleeping. Instead, she was much younger than they thought; early thirties at the oldest. She had her dark brown hair tied up in a bun, and she had several strange markings on her face and hands.

Tied up in what appeared to be electric chairs were a trio of ferocious creatures: a Balverine, a Hollow Man, and a Hobbe. The Hobbe looked over at Mary and flashed her a toothy grin, the witch giving a sad smile and lowering her gaze. She pulled on a lever, and the three creatures began to die from electrocution. The Balverine roared in fury, probably hissing extremely creative death threats; the Hollow Man didn't seem to care much; and the Hobbe thought it was all just another stupid game.

Alex drew his pistol silently, loading a round into the chamber. _'This won't be pretty…' _Next to him, Milton had the same thoughts. "Something tells me we are in for a nasty shock." A strange glowing light of energy traveled down the wiring from the generator to a test tube waiting at the bottom. A drop of light blue liquid dropped into it, and Alex grimaced as Mary picked it up, about to drink. "I have a bad feeling that isn't some new kind of alcohol we haven't happened to try yet." _'What the hell is she doing?'_

Mary drank the liquid, and her eyes bulged before dropping the bottle. The glass shattered, and she rose into the air, surrounded by a glowing light. Alex shielded his eyes, and when it faded, Mary was gone. In her place was a single red Hobbe; she had transformed herself into a Hobbe, able to change into the three creatures at will.

Alex jumped over the railing, landing down on the basement floor and firing his pistol. Three of the rounds struck Mary, and she split into a pair of smaller green Hobbes, each of them cross and wanting to tear the Major limb from limb. Serah pushed him out of the way, her sword slicing one of the green Hobbes in half, making it burst into a pair of smaller blue ones. "Shit! Everyone, fire everything you've got!"

"That's the second worst plan ever," Alex muttered, firing alongside the Queen. She had thrown Mary a loop by casting a devastating Fire/Vortex spell, one of the best that Alex had witnessed. The wind picked up the Hobbes, and the fire killed them off before throwing their bodies into the corner of the basement.

"**It doesn't matter now. I am one of the oldest three in Albion!" **Mary rasped, turning herself into a Summoner Fire Hollow Man. Her dark voice made Alex shudder slightly, and he blocked a deadly swipe to his midsection before slicing a smaller Hollow Man in half. _'This is just madness. We should end this as quickly as bloody possible.' _

Serah and Milton provided covering fire from further back with their rifles, bullets flying past Amy and Alex as they cut, slashed, and shot their way through the Hollow Man horde. The General grinned as she shot the weapons out of a Hollow Man's hands, shot off its head, and then killed it for good. "Make Hollow Man killing into an art form! Is that the zombie kill of the week?"

Alex shook his head as he faced her, shooting a Hollow Man in half without looking. "Nope. Because I get that achievement." _'Hers was flashier…but I still like mine more.' _His comment earned him a smack, his cheek stinging as he got slapped yet again by the General. _'Bloody hell does she have a slap…I think she might've beaten Luna for the amount of times she's hit me.' _"Okay, I take it back."

Serah snorted and hacked her way to Amy's side, who was firing as much as she could at Mary. The bullets made Mary stumble, but every step brought her closer to the Queen, and she was running out room. "A little help here would be nice." She ducked under a swipe from the blades, rolling under Mary and hitting her with her sword. Mary fell forward, and Serah pushed her hand inside Mary's stomach, her hand alive with a Shock/Ice Storm spell that nearly blew her to bits. "Ugh. I'm going to seriously need to clean this outfit when I get the chance."

Alex grunted, battling his way through the remaining Hollow Men and trying to ignore Mary's extremely creepy voice. **"You think you have the right to destroy us!?"**

Mary had transformed into the most deadly of all creatures: a Poison Balverine twice the size of a White Balverine. Alex heard glass shattering, and the massive test tubes in the basement shattered, more Poison Balverines waking from their slumber. _'Oh God…we are in an awful lot of trouble here.' _The creatures' fangs and claws were capable of inflicting serious wounds, and the poison was strong enough to kill an Elite Soldier.

Making matters worse was the fact that the floor of the lab was incredibly damp and slippery, an annoyance that grew into a hazard every time Alex had to spin or flip out of the way of an attack. _'This is really isn't good…'_

In her Balverine form, Mary launched herself at Milton, knocking the Commander into the wall. He tried to stand up, but he fell, unable to fight any longer. He leaned his head against the wall, panting and bleeding. "I'm out of this fight, Your Majesty…"

Serah walked over to him, crouching down and holding her rifle. "I'll cover you. Alex, you take care of Amy." The blonde Major nodded, spinning out of the way of an attack. He slipped, and he winced as he landed awkwardly, twisting his left ankle. _'Damn. That's going to be a hindrance.' _

He hobbled over, stabbing a Poison Balverine in the chest as he made his way to the Queen. "Any plans for this?" _'If Amy gets hurt, then Serah's going to go and do something reckless, leaving Milton to get his bloody throat torn open. I'd have to fight twice as hard just to survive, but even then, there's a good chance I'd end up as wolf food.' _

The young Queen shook her head, twirling her sword in her hand. "Well, I was going to say just shoot and stab anything that tries to kill us, but that's the second worst plan ever, of all time." Alex raised an eyebrow, blocking a deadly swipe to his midsection before lashing out, caving the Poison Balverine's skull in. "Second worst? What is the worst one?" _'Is it the shoot first, ask questions later?'_

"Swish, swish, stab," the Queen replied, stabbing her sword through a Poison Balverine's chest. Her sword was covered in sickly green blood, and she grimaced as a harsh odor hit her nostrils. "Ugh. That smells even worse that Hobson's breath."

Alex scoffed, rolling out of the way from a pair of the enhanced creatures. "I wasn't sure that was possible. At least the git is doing something useful for once instead of boring you to death and back." _'I don't think anyone likes him…I was pretty sure even that arsehole Reaver hated him and wanted to drown him in Bower Lake.' _

Amy sighed and continued blocking Mary's attacks, which were growing more frantic as she saw her minions get slaughtered from the two of them. When the witch tried to slash the young Queen in half, she blocked the blows with ease, the blade a blur of motion. Her skill with a sword was well known, and many who witnessed her fight knew just how good she was in combat; she wasn't ever going to be the Queen who hid from confrontation. _'If you could see her now Walter, you would be very proud.' _

Alex finished off the last Poison Balverine, and Amy did the last thing Mary expected when she blocked her frantic and desperate attacks. The Queen grabbed her claws, bending them backwards and breaking them. As Mary howled in agony, she stabbed her sword through her chest, ending the battle.

In the massive Balverine's place was Mary, bleeding from several wounds and crying. She hid her face from the Queen as she approached her, sobbing. "No! Not this wretched form again! Kill me now, I beg you!"

Alex looked over at Amy, who was biting her lip as Serah helped Milton over to them. The Commander wheezed, coughing. "She's not in the right state of mind. We should bring her back to the Keep."

Alex shrugged when Amy glanced over at him. "It's not my place to decide, but I think we should get her wounds treated before sending her to a facility that can help her." The Queen nodded, holding her hand out to the infamous witch. "It's okay…we can help you."

-0-

_Ravenscar Keep_

Alex looked over at Mary, who was fast asleep in her cell. _'I hope we can get her the help she needs…her mental state isn't exactly the best.' _"Well…I guess we can keep her here until we find a safer facility for her. She needs more help than the Keep is capable of providing."

Hobson entered the room, wiping his brow tiredly. "Your Majesty, I regret to inform you that I still haven't found any information on General Turner. It seems as if he's taken all of his records with him…"

Serah rolled her eyes, ready to retort, but she stopped as she took notice of the dark rings around the advisor's eyes. He really was putting in an honest effort to help find the man, too. "We'll find him. And when we do, that bastard is mine."

Alex looked away, polishing his sword before staring into the dark hallways of the Keep. _'Not if I happen to find him first.'_

'_No one is taking anyone I care about ever again.'_

_**Save game…Quit!**_

_**A/N: Finally…this took me so damn long to finish the damn thing. Next up is the finale of the Traitor's Keep Arc, and a pair of new characters make their appearance (one of them is *spoiler* from *spoiler* and he used to be a *spoiler* alongside Serah). Until them, I'll see you later!**_

_**Ja'ne**_


	5. Heroes and Villains

_**A/N: The finale of the Traitor's Keep is here, with each of the three characters having a battle against a formidable opponent. As for the two characters who make their first appearance, one of them battles Serah and the other battles Alex. Should be interesting as to see who, right?**_

_**Load game…Start!**_

***Heroes and Villains***

_Ravenscar Keep_

Amy walked into the main room of the Keep, only to find that her annoying advisor was gone. "Hobson?" _'Where the hell did you run off to? You were here no less than ten minutes ago!' _She drew her sword, looking for any clues as to where the man could have gone.

Amy walked over to the big desk, and her boot hit something solid. _'What was that?' _She looked down, and she saw Commander Milton lying on the ground, unconscious. "Milton!" _'What the hell happened!?' _

She helped the Commander to his feet, and he groaned before he opened his eyes, rubbing his head. He had a heavy bruise around his left eye, and they looked glazed slightly. _'He probably has a concussion…'_

Milton winced as he felt the bruise. "I-it was Turner! He never left the island at all! The bastard's been hiding out around the passageways throughout the Keep, plotting against us. We need to find him, now!"

Amy looked at Milton, scrutinizing his injuries. If he were any of her other soldiers, such as Nick or Red, she would have ordered them to get proper treatment before setting foot on the battlefield again. But, Milton seemed to be able to fight, and he didn't complain about his wounds. _'If he says he's fine…then he's fine.' _"Where's Hobson?"

Milton shook his head, grabbing his fallen rifle. "I have absolutely no idea. I have a feeling that Turner's going to torture him for information about you before killing him." As much as Amy hated Hobson's annoying voice, she didn't want any harm to befall him because of her. _'Something doesn't seem right about this, though. He surely must have screamed his bloody head off. How come no one heard him?' _There was something very suspicious about this secret strike, and it made Amy feel uneasy. _'I don't like this…every part of me is screaming that it's a trap of some kind.'_

The doors to the room burst open, and Amy drew her sword, surprised as Serah and Alex entered. "Bloody hell you scared me…" _'Quit acting so jumpy; you're the Queen of Albion, for Avo's sake.' _

Serah looked around, her rifle in her hands as she saw what was missing. "Alright, where the hell is Hobson? He's a bit old for hide-and-seek." Amy shook her head, lowering her weapon. "Turner has him. We have to split up and comb this island to the last stone. Alex, you handle the outside perimeter. Serah, search the northern half of the interior of the Keep. Milton and I will take care of this half."

The blonde Major nodded, and he turned around before heading outside. "Good luck, my Queen. Take care of yourself." Amy watched him go, knowing he'd be okay. _'He can handle a single opponent, even if it is a rogue General.'_

Serah looked uneasy, and the young Queen understood why. _'She's just as worried as I am about it all being a setup.' _Amy rested her hand on the General's soldier, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry; I'll be okay." Serah gave her a kiss in the cheek before turning away. "It's my job to worry about you, love. Take care, please."

Amy nodded, and as her wife walked away, Milton was finally ready. "The designers of this place fitted the interior of the walls with an elaborate system of secret tunnels. They haven't been used for years, but if we're going to find him anywhere on this side of the prison, it'll be inside here."

He looked at the walls of the office, pressing his hand against it. "Right here. There's a tunnel behind this wall." Amy felt it, and she could feel as if it was hollow, a passageway waiting for them. _'He's right. We'll have to go in through here.' _She slammed the hilt of her sword into the wall, and the thin wall shattered, revealing a path inside. "Let's go."

The path was inky dark, and it was impossible to see more than five feet. _'Good thing Walter isn't here…he would have panicked and ran as far from this as possible.' _Her thoughts about the old soldier made her sad. He was more than just a mentor to her; he was a father figure following the death of her own. Walter was beyond terrified of dark places, but he would have drawn on his courage to go with her. _'Walter…would you be proud of what I've done? Are the decisions I'm making correct?'_

Amy had no doubt that she was right about sparing Faraday and giving him his life and career as a brilliant inventor back, but weighing heavily on her was her decision to spare Witchcraft Mary. She wasn't in the right state of mind, but she had also begged to be killed and end her torment. _'Was that right? Isn't that just extending her suffering even more? Or should I have killed her in cold blood and deal with the guilt?' _Being the Queen at such a young age was starting to take its toll on her, and she frequently lost many hours of sleep at night as a result.

She shook her head before stepping inside, lighting her way with a Fire spell. She couldn't afford to seem distracted to Milton; Amy needed the both of them to frosty and wired tight for when the real battle came. _'That can wait, as well as releasing the prisoners who haven't really committed crimes and were just imprisoned for thinking Logan was an arsehole.' _

Many of the people imprisoned were here simply for thinking that Logan was a git who would bring ruin to the country, including some drunk who thought it would be a good idea to have no sort of governing. _'What a pillock…without someone in charge, there would be anarchy, and that would bring ruin to the country quicker than assassinations or revolutions.' _

Milton strained to see in front of them, feeling his way along the wall. "Bloody hell is it dark…good thing you have that spell of yours, Your Majesty." The passageway was damp, and it smelled horrible; it reeked like a Hobbe Cave in Mistpeak. _'This is even worse than the Bowerstone Sewers…and that's saying something.' _

The path ended, and the exit was not where Amy expected it to be. _'The Pit? Oh Avo…what has happened to Hobson if he's here with these madmen?' _Milton shifted uneasily next to her, wincing as the pained screams of tormented men filled their ears. "The Pit. What could Turner possibly want with these lunatics?"

They stepped inside, and to Amy's horror, the heavy steel doors opened, revealing a horde of men with maniacal gleams in their eyes. Milton gasped behind her, breathing heavy. "He set them free. The bastard set them free." He drew his sword, ready to fight to the death. "Your Majesty, do not show any mercy. These men were long dead, and they'll thank us for ending their misery."

Amy hated the ugly necessity of having to kill them, even as they advanced on her with spiked clubs and letting out freakish screams. _'You're not even in your right minds…I don't want to do this.' _

She drew her pistol, aiming for the heads to end their pain as quickly and humane as possible. As their bodies fell, the light fading from their insane eyes, she recognized one of the men remaining, and her green eyes filled with tears. "I-it can't be…" _'Please, no. Not you, Jacob.' _

Jacob was a childhood friend of Amy and Elliot's, and he was charged wrongly of killing a noblewoman when he was only 14. Amy tried to plead his case, but Logan refused to listen to her and ordered him to be imprisoned for life. And now, Amy found out just what happened to him; he must have spent days strapped to those electric chairs and being tortured.

Amy dodged all of Jacob's strikes, the poor boy not even aware of his own actions as he tried to kill his old friend. _'I'm so sorry…I had no idea this was your fate.' _Behind her, she could dimly hear Milton scream to try and get her to snap out of it. "Your Majesty!"

As Jacob descended on her, Amy's eyes began to leak with tears as she sank the blade of her sword into his chest. His eyes bulged, and Amy swore that she heard him whisper, "Thank you" before he fell in a heap, a fatal wound in his chest. _'You don't deserve to be roped in with the rest of them…you were one of my best friends. Please, forgive me.' _She cast a Fire/Vortex spell, which burned his body and scattered his ashes; it was his own funeral pyre, and it was a fitting fate for a man who didn't deserve to be killed by Logan's cruelty.

Lowering her watery gaze, she drew her pistol again, firing at the heads of all insane men to kill them as quickly and painlessly as possible. When the last body hit the floor, she heard a weak cough behind her, and she turned to see Milton leaning against the wall, panting as blood trickled from a wound in his side. "Milton!" _'Look at yourself. You allowed someone else to get hurt because of your own weakness. What kind of Queen are you?'_

Amy crouched down to inspect the wound. It was small, but it was also deep; he must have been with one of the spikes on the clubs when she was frozen from seeing her now deceased friend amongst the tortured prisoners. "It looks deep…"

Milton grimaced, letting out a grunt. "I've been hit worse. I'm no Hero though." He shakily drew a pistol from his side, loading a clip in. "I'll buy you as much time as I can. Go, now." Amy nodded, drawing her sword and reloading her own pistol. "Stay here. I'll deal with Turner." _'You bastard…when I find you, I won't show any mercy. You have hurt your last victim, Turner.'_

Milton nodded, breathing heavily. "I know you'll succeed. You have powers the rest of us can only dream of." Amy walked away, leaving the Commander, and she found herself inside the Keep's Torture Chamber. And strapped to one of those horrifying devices was her advisor, Hobson.

His eyes were wide with fear, and he had a gag in his mouth. _'No wonder he couldn't scream for help…he was gagged!' _Amy walked over to him, trying her best to rip off the binds keeping him in the chair. "I'm getting you out of here." She broke the bind on his right hand, and Hobson pulled the gag, his voice thick with fear. "T-there was no third prisoner! It was all…him!" He pointed, and Amy followed his gaze to see Commander Milton standing by the generator controlling the electrical flow to the chairs.

He raised a finger to his lips. "Shh." Amy looked down, and with horror, she realized she was standing on the wire that connected the generator to the chair. She looked back up, and Milton pulled the lever. "It's time for an audience, Your Majesty."

The powerful electric shock stunned the young Queen, and as she fell from her advisor, she looked at the man who just betrayed her. _'You…traitor…' _Her vision then blacked out, and she fell unconscious.

-0-

Amy's vision slowly returned, and she began to seethe as she heard the voice of Commander Milton. The voice of a traitor. "You're awake. Good. I was afraid I might have set the voltage too high. But then again, you have powers the rest of us can only dream of. Hobson was wrong. There was a third prisoner. General Turner, the finest man I ever knew, the finest soldier I ever served, died six months ago. But I wasn't going to let his dream die."

She blinked, and she struggled to free herself from the strong binds connecting her to the electric chair. _'You bastard…you're never going to get away with this!' _Amy glared at Milton as he stroked his mustache, smiling sadly as he pulled the lever on the generator again. "Forgive me, Your Majesty."

Amy had experienced pain before, but this was the most painful thing she had ever felt. She let out a pained scream as the electrical current coursed through her body, as much as she didn't want to give Milton the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt.

The Commander smiled and pulled lower, and the pain increased, the young Queen screaming out again and thrashing in the chair as she desperately tried to free herself. As she was electrocuted, she saw a strange glowing light travel down the wire and into the generator, where a test tube filled with a strange liquid was waiting. A few drops leaked in, and Milton tipped up his hat to look at it closely, turning off the generator. "It bloody worked."

Amy panted heavily, pain filling her body as Milton raised the tube like it was a beer. "To the ends of Kings and Queens." He raised it to his lips and downed the liquid, wiping his lips as he finished it with a sadistic grin.

His eyes then bulged, and the tube fell from his grasp, shattering on the cold stone floor. The traitorous Commander fell to his knees, his body glowing white. Amy shielded her eyes, and when it faded, she saw a sight that shouldn't have been possible. _'It can't be…but that's me!' _

A pair of red and black wings flapped around the person's body, and they stood up, grinning sadistically at the young Queen. "All hail the Queen of Albion." In Commander Milton's place was another version of her, wearing the same clothes and wielding the same weapons. She ignited a Fire spell in her hand, standing up with the wings flapping. "Do you see who the real enemy is now?"

She threw the Fire spell at Amy, which broke the binds on the chair. "Get up, Queen." Amy stood up, wobbling, and she drew her sword before swinging it. The dark version of her blocked the strike, smiling as the real Queen struggled against her. "I've watched you use these powers before…but to feel them coursing through me, it's unreal. I have never felt anything so magnificent."

Amy drew her pistol and fired, a bullet striking the clone. As she doubled over, the Queen tried to press her advantage and slice down. But the clone was just as strong, if not stronger than her, and she rolled away before clashing her sword with Amy's. _'This is madness…I'm fighting myself! How do I win this!?' _

She tried to lean back, but the floor of the Torture Room was just as slippery, if not more, than the basement in the Godwin Mansion. Amy spun, but she stumbled and the clone kicked her in the chest, breaking the ribs. The Queen coughed up blood, splattering the cold, wet stone floor. _'D-dammit…'_

Her pistol fell from her grasp, and the clone kicked it into the corner before leveling her sword at the fallen Queen. "I'll reverse every bad decision you've ever made, and then, I'll end the monarchy all together. The people don't need you on the throne!" She grabbed Amy by the hair, the Queen crying out before getting thrown onto the floor.

The clone spat at her, giving her another kick. "I had the prisoners help out with the process. I am stronger and faster than you will ever be. You're weak. I'll have fun killing your wife and friend next."

As weakened as she was, Amy found herself drawing on the last of her magic reserves just to stay alive. Bleeding, battered, and broken, she raised herself to her knees, coughing weakly. _'Avo…help me. I can't win this fight on my own.' _

Behind her, she could hear her other self laugh cruelly. "Give it up. Embrace your death." Amy wobbled to her feet, wiping her cheek and breathing painfully. "N-never…" _'I won't let you kill the ones I love.' _

The clone sucked her teeth mockingly, raising her sword and aiming for her heart. Amy parried the blow, sending it into her shoulder. The clone hissed in annoyance and tried again, only for the strike to hit her other shoulder.

The clone tried to attack, and Amy parried the blow, blood dripping from her body. "This is where your story ends." _'This isn't really me. If it was, then it would know how to kill me immediately and how I would counterattack, and so forth. It's just Milton wearing a puppet that looks like me!'_

Holding her side painfully, Amy continued to parry her blows, the clone growing more and more desperate. "You will never harm them. Never!" _'You couldn't find anything that could kill Serah if you killed me first. She would be too angry and sad to die.' _She knocked her clone into the wall, the sword falling out of her grasp.

As the clone struggled to stand up, Amy pressed her advantage, her own blue/white wings growing from her shoulders. She sank her sword through the clone's chest before twisting, causing a fatal wound.

Amy withdrew her sword, and she glared at the clone with intense hatred and anger as she spoke, red Will lines glowing across her body. "It seems another attempt has failed. Perhaps it's for the best. I don't think I could have ever given up such tremendous power." Amy went to lash out again when the clone grabbed her hand, the red wings rising. "Never forget this. The people of Albion don't need you. One day, they will demand their freedom."

"Not today," Amy hissed, slicing the clone across her throat. Blood spurted from the new wound, and the clone fell on her back, the wings flaring behind her like a fallen demon.

Amy stumbled as her clone died, her vision spinning from her own wounds and blood loss. _'I can't stay here…' _She tried to stumble towards the door, but she fell in a heap, unconscious.

-0-

Serah hissed as she ran into another dead end in the Keep. It seemed as if the prison's endless hallways were built to frustrate her, and she grew more agitated and worried with each passing second. _'I swear to God, I'm going to beat the living hell out of the designer of this place.' _

She was worried about her wife being alone with Milton. The Commander seemed to act suspicious, and Serah just couldn't shake off the fact that it needed to be looked into. _'After I find Turner, I'll make sure to kill that bastard.' _

She turned around to go and look when a massive shape appeared, blocking out the light from the tunnel. "Who's there!?" _'What the hell is that?' _The shape then had the light hit them, and Serah's eyes widened. _'My God…' _

It was a massive man, with a bald head, very powerful arm muscles, red eyes, and a strange marking on his broad chest. In his hands was a massive mace with a blade on the end, and the metal gleamed menacingly. **"I am the Meta." **

Serah drew her sword slowly, ready for one hell of a fight. "The Meta? Suits an abnormally large asshole like yourself." _'This guy is as big as a Brute Major, and looks to be just as powerful. One hit from that could kill me.' _

The Meta growled and swung the mace, Serah blocking the heavy blow. Even though she was a Spartan III, the sheer power of the strike was enough to send her back several feet. _'Heh…this ought to be fun.' _Serah slashed at the man's abdomen, but the skin was as tough as iron and barely cut through him. _'Damn.' _The Meta slammed his mace down, a large crater forming on the ground as a result. The force of the attack made Serah's sword fall out of her hand, and she drew a UNSC combat knife from her back, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Not bad. Thank you for this fun fight."

Serah had a lot of pride as a soldier, even more so when she became a General. But, she couldn't deny that her past on the front lines as a child was finally catching up with her. She was suffering from constant headaches and graphic flashes from the Spartan program, including the disturbing ways she witnessed civilians die from the Covenant. _'I need help…otherwise, there's a chance of me ending up in a mental institution.' _The condition she was suffering from was most likely post-traumatic stress disorder, something that could turn very ugly.

But right now, she needed to concentrate on beating this massive brute of a man. _'Remember every last detail that Mendez taught you about knife fights.' _Serah held the blade in a backwards grip, knowing that holding a knife with the blade facing forwards usually ended up in a disaster. _'Never point it towards your opponent; otherwise, it is very easy to block the attack, break your wrist, and then kill you.' _

The Meta swung his mace again, and Serah blocked the attack again, catching the handle of the heavy weapon. She kicked upwards, sending the massive man stumbling. Serah slashed with her knife, and still it was incredibly hard to cut through his skin. _'Holy shit…this guy is tough.' _Her rifle was still across her back, but it was not advantageous for her to use it in a close-quarters fight, especially not one with the Meta. _'Too bad I can't just shoot him and end this now…' _

The Meta growled in fury, and his swing of his mace narrowly missed Serah by inches, and she could feel the wind as it soared over her head. _'Too close for comfort…' _The former Spartan lashed out with her leg, catching the man in the head. He stumbled, spinning around and momentarily off-balance. _'Hand-to-hand with this brute is more than just bloody dangerous…it's near suicidal.' _

Spotting her fallen sword on the floor, Serah grabbed it, the sharpened steel clashing with the mace again. The blade's lightning magic crackled, and the shock stunned the Meta briefly. Serah tripped him with a low kick, and as the Meta fell, she pressed her advantage. _'Let me show you why I was feared by the Insurrection.' _She slammed the hilt of her sword into the Meta's knee, a sickening crack reaching her ears.

The man roared in pain, unable to stand up. _'Worst kind of injury. Ligament damage too. It's over.' _Serah slammed her boot into the man's chest, caving the ribs in and puncturing the lungs before she slashed his throat open. The Meta gasped, but his eyes were quickly beginning to lose their light. **"T-the r-real e-enemy i-is M-milton."** Serah's eyes widened, for her suspicions were confirmed about the treacherous Commander. _'Amy! I have to find her, quickly!' _

Her boots were stained with the Meta's blood, now lying dead on the floor. Her sword was supposedly linked to the old Light god Avo, the blade called Avo's Lamentation. _'There's only one way to find out if this rumor is really true, or if it's just bollocks.' _Serah raised her sword, closing her eyes. _"Show me the path to the one I love most." _An image of the Keep's Torture Chamber appeared in her mind, and she blinked her eyes open before rushing out. _'Amy…please be okay.'_

-0-

Alex rested against a balcony overlooking a river, with a small lake being fed by a waterfall. He had been searching the exterior of the island for awhile now, and so far, he had found not a single clue about Turner's whereabouts. _'This could be a trap…I don't want to think it, but is it possible that Milton has been leading us on here?' _

Alex admitted to himself long ago that he should always trust his gut, but this was accusing the Commander of being a traitor and plotting to murder the Queen. _'Amy…I need to find her, quickly!' _Milton's actions did seem suspicious, and Alex was not one to show mercy to traitors.

But before he could move, he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eyes in the trees above. _'I'm not alone here.' _He lowered his head, aware of eyes boring into his back. "So, are you here to dance with me?"

The trees rustled in the wind, and Alex turned around, sighing. "Oh come on. Can't you be at least a little more creative?" A pair of men dropped down from the trees, dressed in black and wielding katanas. Assassins. _'Figures my luck.'_

He had dealt with assassins in the past; he used to lead a small force of them to the Dweller Camp and Brightwall to take out high value targets. They were fast, agile, and highly trained. They were capable of killing a highly trained soldier with ease, and they were very skilled in stealth and close-quarters combat.

The one in the lead shrugged, twirling his sword gracefully above his head. "It's nothing personal mate. We're just doing our job." The fluidness of his movements made Alex wary; this man was a highly trained assassin. The one next to him seemed a little timid; it was probably his first ever outing. _'Sorry kid, but it's also going to be your last.' _

The younger assassin rushed Alex, a typical rookie mistake. The blonde Major flipped him over his shoulder with one hand, sending him tumbling into the river. _'Too easy and predictable. The other chap is going to be a handful.' _

Alex looked at the remaining one, chuckling as they watched the young assassin get swept away by the raging current as he tried to desperately swim to shore. "Are you training him? You might want to choose a kid who's ready to fight instead of some rich pretty boy." The assassin chuckled back, shrugging his shoulders. "Pretty rich coming from the one who looks like he has a massive fan-club consisting of all the barmaids in Bowerstone. Besides, it's not like we actually want to do this. We're just everyday guys the rest of the time. But, Milton threatened to kill our families if we didn't take up the bounty. I'm sorry, but my family is too important to me."

Alex hissed mentally at the thought of the now traitorous Commander, who was alone with the Queen. _'Milton, you son of a bitch. I'm going to kill you slowly and very painfully when I get my hands on you, you traitor.' _ "I see…so, you have to kill me then." The assassin smiled apologetically as he looked at his sword. "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to do this."

"You seem decent. If the circumstances were different, I'd take you out for a couple of drinks," Alex returned, readying himself for a good fight. _'It's been a long time since I had a good old-fashioned sword fight against another master. Let's see how good this man really is.' _He decided to duel the man left-handed; he didn't wish to reveal his true colors just yet.

The assassin smiled under his mask, circling him. "Begin." The two stalked around each other like patient tigers, waiting for the other to make the first move. The assassin struck first, and Alex blocked the two blows before dodging the third swipe to his face. Not using his specialty, laido, was going to be a bit difficult, but even then, he was confident that he could win. _'I have a feeling this man is hiding something, too.'_

Alex then struck, and the man dodged those in return. The two then began to clash their swords, and the style of swordsmanship the assassin was using made Alex curious. _'Interesting…this man is definitely a former special forces soldier. His style seems so familiar…I wish I knew where it was from.'_

Alex flipped over a strike, switching back to left-handed laido. _'I'm better at this anyway…' _His prowess with a sword was something he prided himself on. He had joined the Albion Royal Army when he was only fourteen, and by the time he was sixteen, he was the best swordsman serving under King Logan and had better aim with his pistol than any of the Elite Soldiers had with their rifles, except for his first CO, Captain Star, before she was killed in action.

The assassin nodded approvingly as the two continued to clash steel, neither able to spot a weakness in each other's amazing skill. "You are quite wonderful, I must say." Even though he was laidback, Alex could see that he wasn't kidding about his skill. "Thank you. I've worked very hard to become so." With each strike, he was forcing the assassin back step by step, though he didn't let his guard down for a second. _'Any minute now, he's going to reveal his little secret that'll make me have to adjust.' _

"I'll admit it; you are better than I am," the assassin said, though Alex could see that his lips were curved upwards in a small smile as he had him facing the balcony. "Then why are you smiling?"

"I am not left-handed," the assassin stated, switching hands. With the sword in his right, Alex could see just how good this man was. _'Wow…this man is really good. It's a pity we had to meet this way. We could use your skill set in the army; Serah would be happy to have another master swordsman.' _

With Alex on the defensive, he realized who the assassin fought like. _'Serah! These two fight the exact same way! Could it mean…he's not originally from Albion either?' _Defense wasn't a position he never thought he would ever be in for more than a few seconds at most, but this man, whoever he was, was capable of forcing the blonde Major back. "You are simply amazing. Although your style seems familiar."

The assassin pinned down Alex's sword on the balcony railing, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Really now? And who might that be, dear sir?" Alex pushed him off with his knee, switching to his right hand now. "Serah." _'If he knows her, then I have taken on a formidable opponent.' _

The man's eyes widened under his mask, stunned as the blonde Major surprised him with his speed. "Did you say Serah?" Alex and the man continue to trade blows, neither of them giving the other holes in their strategy to manipulate. _'Sounds like he does know her. There's always a chance that he could know someone else called Serah, but I heavily doubt it.' _"I did. Does the one you know have blue eyes-"

"Enjoy slapping the shit out you, likes redheads, and is lesbian?" the assassin finished dryly, spinning out of the way of a rapid series of strikes from Alex. "Yes, that's her. Is she here?"

Alex paused mentally, blocking a series of strikes before flipping, his boot knocking the sword out of the assassin's hand and sending it into the river below. _'I don't know if I should tell him, as he is only here to cut my head off and send me to an early grave.' _"Possibly. Who wants to know?"

The man drew a combat knife from his back, the same kind of knife that Serah kept on her at all times. He removed his mask to reveal a man with black hair and tired grey eyes. "David Washington. Former UNSC Spartan III. I infiltrated the Highwaymen's Guild in an attempt to take out Commander Milton, upon hearing rumors of him plotting to murder the Queen of Albion." The man, now called David, didn't seem fazed about losing his sword to the raging torrent below. "But first, let's finish what we've started. I hate to let such a good fight end with a bunch of talking."

Alex readied himself as David held the knife in the same backwards grip that Serah did. _'I never managed to beat Serah in combat…and this guy is as good as she is. Not to mention he is bloody fast for someone who isn't a Hero or magically altered.' _ David then swung the knife in a series of arcs, and Alex ducked under, tripping him with the scabbard of his sword and sending him to the ground. The knife spun out of his grasp and slid out of reach.

David rested himself on his knees, his grey eyes closed. "If you are going to kill me, then do it quickly please." Alex sheathed his sword, walking around him. "And have to deal with Serah yelling at me for killing an old friend of hers? No thanks mate." _'We'll need you to stop Milton's madness, if Serah hasn't already ripped him limb from bally limb.' _He helped David up, and the two of them ran back towards the Keep, heading for the Torture Chamber. "Let's hurry up!" _'Amy…please don't be dead.'_

-0-

Serah kicked open the doors to the Keep's Torture Chamber, gasping at the sight in front of her. "AMY!" _'No…please, no!' _On the cold stone floor, covered in blood, were two versions of Amy, and it was nearly impossible to tell which one was the real one and who was the fake. _'S-she's dead…'_

Serah fell to her knees, her sword falling from her grasp. A pair of tears rolled down her cheeks, and even though she was a Spartan, she allowed herself to cry. _'It's all my fault…I shouldn't have let you go alone with Milton. I'm so sorry…'_

As her tears made their way down her cheek and onto the floor, she heard a pair of footsteps behind her, along with a pair of familiar gasps, although one was a voice she hadn't heard in a long time. _'He can't be here…he went missing a long time ago.' _

"Serah!"

"No…Amy!"

The former Spartan wiped her face to see Alex and a man who should have been dead. David Washington, a Spartan III trainee. Serah stood up, stalking her way towards him and giving him a harsh slap across the cheek to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. "You son of a bitch…what the hell are you doing here!? You are listened as Missing In Action!"

David winced, rubbing his face. "Serah, now is not the time or the place! We have bigger issues to worry about!" Serah hissed in anger and despair, the grief about her wife dying consuming her mind. _'I can't handle this…not with you dead.'_

Alex looked at the bodies, his green eyes watery as he picked up the one closest to him. "We can't leave her here. A Hero's body is a miracle, even a dead one. People would try and drink their blood or eat their remains to gain their powers." The blood from the body stained his clothing red, and as the body's head lolled, Serah stopped briefly. _'Wait a minute…that's not her. It's just a fake.' _"That's not Amy."

Alex looked up, confused. "What do you mean? It looks exactly like her!" Serah shook her head, wiping her eyes and pointing. "No, look closer. Amy's eyes aren't black like that. That's just a copy." _'That wound in the throat and chest…Amy must have killed her first.' _

Alex then dropped the body, grabbing David's knife. "Milton, you son of a bitch…you used Witchcraft Mary's transformation potion, didn't you!?" He stabbed the body in fury, blood spurting up and staining his normally clean blonde hair.

"S-serah…" a weak cough sounded behind her. Serah turned around, and she saw Amy crawling towards her, blood staining her hair, shoulders, and slowly dripping from her mouth. The former Spartan ran to her, hugging her tightly and silently crying. "I thought you were dead…" The Queen shook her head, coughing. "Not yet, my love…"

Serah picked her up, running a hand through her bloodstained hair. "You're a mess…don't you ever give me a scare like that again." Amy nodded, wincing. "I'll try not to…" She held her side, gasping for breath. "B-be careful…my ribs are broken."

Serah kissed her on the top of her head, walking out of the Torture Room with Alex and David behind her. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

"Please don't tell me it means what I think it means."

"Alex, shut the fuck up."

-0-

Amy, Serah, Alex, David, and Hobson stood in the middle of the office in the Ravenscar Keep, each of them with new and old wounds. Well, except for Hobson, who was pretty much unharmed apart from needing a new change of pants due to being scared halfway to death and back.

The advisor shook his head as he saw the lot of them, battered but not beaten. "I can't believe it…for Milton to even think about overthrowing the monarchy, it's just preposterous. I suppose we should be lucky that General Turner was a sickly man when he was imprisoned, or the Commander would have let him free." He walked out of the office, leaving the group alone. "I'll be on the ship, Your Majesty. I have had enough of hunting down rogues and need my old bed in the castle back."

"You're not the only one," Serah muttered dryly. The General fared well in her battle against the Meta, but her dark past of being on those beds during the alteration process was biting her in the ass, in a metaphorical way. She simply couldn't shake it off, but she would feel much better after they got the hell off this island and back to Bowerstone.

Amy was by far in the worst shape. Her ankle was twisted and her ribs were broken; they would need a few days for even a Hero to recover. She was also exhausted; it was a struggle for the young Queen to even keep herself awake due to blood loss.

Alex and David were infuriated at Milton's attempt to take the Queen's life, and both of them shared a common idea of digging up the bastard's body and kill him again before feeding him to a pack of Balverines in Silverpines. The two of them however were unharmed.

But now, all that mattered now was that they were all safe, alive, reunited, and heading home. Serah looked outside, picking Amy up in her arms bridal style. "Now…let's go home."

"Agreed."

"I could use a pint or two."

The four walked out of the Keep, boarded the ship, and set sail to the place they all belonged: home sweet home.

_**Save game…Quit!**_

_**A/N: Well, here you go! Surprised about my choice of OCs? David is based off of Wash from RvB, except he's not a Freelancer and doesn't get pissy XD. The Traitor's Keep arc is over, and next up, it's time for the Understone chapter! See you!**_

_**Ja'ne**_


	6. The Lost and Forgotten City

_**A/N: Well, here is the chapter for the Understone Quest! Plus, it is also time for Alex to confess his love to Feya, with some…entertaining results.**_

_**Load game…Start!**_

***The Lost and Forgotten City***

_Bowerstone Castle_

Alex stood outside the door, feeling incredibly nervous about what he was about to do. _'Come on…get a grip on yourself. You've battled some of the fiercest creatures in Albion; you can handle talking to a very pretty girl for a few seconds.' _

Summoning every last bit of courage he had, he knocked on the door. "Feya? Are you in there?" _'There's no turning back now. I have to say this.' _The door slowly opened, and Feya poked her head out, wiping her eyes tiredly. "Who is it?"

She then blinked and stood up straighter, fumbling."Oh, hi Major." Alex rubbed his head, sighing. "Drop the formalities. It's just the two of us here." _'I sometimes hate it when my men are so formal.' _Feya yawned tiredly, stretching her arms out. "Okay. What's up? It's not like you to be like this. Being all business is what I kinda like about you…"

Alex admitted she had a point. Recently, he had been spending more time with Serah and the Queen than his own men. _'Maybe I should be a bit looser with them…' _He let out a cough, feeling the sweat start to trickle down his back as he prepared to say three words. _'Come on, say it already.'_

"Feya…there's something I have to tell you," Alex said after what seemed to be an eternity. The blonde soldier blinked slowly, not even aware of the words the Major was about to say. Alex took a deep breath, closing his eyes before finally saying it. "Feya, I love you." _'There. I said it. What's the worst that'll happen? The worst thing she could say is, 'Well I don't feel that way towards you'.' _

Feya's eyes widened, a hint of red rising on her cheeks. "Alex, I…oh, just get in here!" She kissed Alex, and he let out a small, "Mmph!" of surprise. Feya jumped up, wrapping her legs around Alex's waist and dragging him into her room. "Get your arse in here, now."

Above them, he could have sworn he heard a few cheers from the Royal Bedroom, and he slammed the door shut, making it clear that he was going to be…busy for awhile.

-0-

Serah and Amy smirked as they began to hear the moans from downstairs, and they raised their glasses of wine to celebrate. "Finally. He pulled his head out of his ass and told her." _'It's not like he's ugly or anything…he's just so daft sometimes when it comes to women.' _"Who are you betting on being the dominant one?"

Amy paused before taking a sip, shrugging. "Judging by the sound of it, I'm going to go on a limb and say Feya. She's more than just a little feisty, according to Luna." She downed the wine, placing the glass on the small bedside table before feeling her chest and stomach. "That's still a little sore…"

Serah took a sip, placing the still nearly full glass next to Amy's empty one. "How much longer before you think you'll be okay?" After what happened inside the Keep, Serah almost refused to let Amy go anywhere without her; she was growing more and more paranoid by the day, although her condition was most likely the cause. _'David might know, as he was also a Spartan…'_

The Queen shrugged, feeling her side gingerly. "Maybe another day or so. It's not too bad right now."

The General rested her head on Amy's lap, pulling her knife out and tossing it in the air, the blade completing a series of graceful arcs. "Amy, what's the most horrifying thing you have ever seen in your life? It doesn't have to have happened since my arrival."

Amy paused, gently brushing and petting Serah's pink hair. "I think…it was just before you arrived, actually. Logan was about to kill a bunch of protesters, and my friend Elliot and I tried to stop him. He didn't listen, and he made me choose who had to die: the boy I grew up with or the peaceful protesters. I had chosen Elliot, as he said I couldn't let those people die…"

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and Serah caught her knife, sheathing it before wiping her face. "Well…I watched as my own people got slaughtered from the time I was a child. Where I'm from, humanity is in the middle of a massive war with a group of superior nonhuman races. I watched as civilians got ran over by their vehicles, were torn to shreds, were sliced in half by swords of pure energy, and were burned by their ships from the stars above." _'And that's just the tip of the iceberg…'_

Amy tilted her head up, her eyes wide. "But, that's not all of it, is it?" Serah shook her head, rubbing her head painfully. "Observant…the thing that's getting me is remembering what happened to me as a teenager. For us to wear this special armor, we were subjected to alterations. I received all these genetic enhancements, and I was conscious for all of it as the sedation didn't work on me. I just remember all these doctors stabbing me with needles, and screaming in agony. I thought I was going to die on that operating table."

Amy cupped her face as she confessed everything that happened to her. "They altered you?" Serah nodded, closing her eyes. "Yes. They wanted the perfect soldier." _'All of it hurt so much…it's why I wear long sleeves so much; I don't want anyone to see the scars.' _

Serah lowered her eyes when Amy didn't reply, her breathing heavy. "I'm sorry—" She was cut off from saying more due to Amy gently kissing her. "Oh Serah…to me, you already are perfect. You didn't need those enhancements to make you better. And don't think you've failed to protect humanity. We both saved Albion from the greatest threat it has ever faced."

Serah smiled sadly as she pulled away. "You are a smooth one…" She gently bit on her wife's collarbone, the redhead gasping and blushing. "S-serah…don't tease me." The former Spartan continued to run her lips down her stomach, Amy squirming underneath her. "B-be gentle…"

Serah looked up at her, kissing her stomach gently and biting to leave marks on the pale skin. Amy gasped out, her breathing increasing, when they both heard a knock on the door, making them groan in frustration. "Fuuuuuck." _'Goddammit. Just when it was getting good.' _

Serah sat up, sighing. "Come in." Nick entered, ignoring the fact that the two were only wearing their undergarments. He saluted, his new ranks shining brightly on his uniform. "Ma'am, General. I've just received a very…interesting report from Bowerstone Industrial, and I thought that it would be something you need to hear."

Serah ruffled her hair, yawning. "Go on. It better not be that stupid prank about Hobbes again." _'If I don't see another one ever again, it'll be too soon.' _Every now and then, some drunk (or very bored imbecile) would make a really ridiculous claim about there being Hobbes loose in the city. And every time either Nick or Red would lead a team to investigate, they would find nothing. Eventually, they ignored them, saying it was just a dumb joke someone with too much time on their hands made up to see if they could get a rookie soldier to fall for it.

But this seemed to not be the case, judging by Nick's curious expression. "Not at all. One of the factory owners by the piers is saying that his factory is being haunted by some sort of spirit. I haven't looked into it too much myself, but whatever it is, it is really driving him out of business."

Amy sat up, adjusting her red bra that Serah had bought her in Bowerstone to make sure her breasts were covered. "The last thing we need is for that to happen. Serah and I will look into it after she finishes her wine." Nick nodded, taking the hint. "Very well ma'am." He saluted and left, closing the door behind him.

Serah stood up, putting on her clothes and finishing her wine. "Damn men. Always have to ruin the hot moments, right?" _'I was looking forward to dominating you senseless.' _Amy laughed as she also got dressed, tying up her hair in a bun. "Well, we can always pick up where we left off later. Do we need to bring Alex with us?" Just after she finished saying that, there was a moan in immense pleasure from downstairs, answering the question. "Or maybe not."

Serah shook her head, grabbing her sword, rifle, and combat knife just in case things got ugly. "Nah. Tell him to take Feya somewhere nice, like where I proposed to you in Millfields. Or that really sweet mountain view in Mistpeak." _'If anyone can finally tame her, it'll be him. And if anyone can knock him down a good peg or two, it's her. They're pretty much made for each other…'_

Amy nodded, placing her sword across her back. "Okay. Do we bring anyone along for this? Heroes or not, we'll need some sort of backup." Serah paused, thinking as she loaded a fresh clip into her rifle. _'Hmm…now that I think of it, I want to see just how well David has adjusted to Albion.' _"We'll bring David along. I want to see if he's rusted since I last saw him fight."

The two left the Royal Bedroom, and Serah stopped as a battered soldier saluted them on the stairway. "Your Majesty; General." The General looked at him closely, her eyebrows rising in curiosity. "What the hell happened to you?" _'If I didn't know better, I'd say you got the living shit kicked out of you by a bunch of Hobbes. Though I think this has to do with Red being beyond stressed the fuck out.' _"You looked like you got the shit beaten out of you by a bunch of bloody Hobbes."

The man's face was purple with bruises, both eyes were swollen, a tooth was missing, and his nose was crooked. He slumped his shoulders, sighing. "That's more believable than what actually happened…" Serah and Amy shared a glance, the General shrugging. "I have the time. Let me hear it."

The soldier scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Well, I was polishing my rifle, and then Nick asked me about Shenanigans…and I don't remember too much after that." Serah opened her mouth to reply when Nick reappeared, a pint in his hand and a hint of red on his cheeks. "Just told Alex about…" He stopped as he saw the soldier. "Oh, right. Well, Red did swear that she was going to pistol-whip the next person who said shenanigans, and well…there you go."

Serah sighed, rubbing her temples in slight frustration. _'That explains just about everything I needed to know.' _"I see…well, Amy and I are going to investigate the haunting of that damn factory. Tell Luna she's in charge, but that does not mean she gets to play with fire. I don't want half of the castle burned down." _'I refuse to believe she actually accidentally killed all of those mercenaries by shooting gunpowder-filled barrels for her own enjoyment, no matter what Major Killjoy says.'_

Nick nodded, taking a sip out of the pint. "Will do." Serah sighed and faced the battered soldier. "Get yourself a full health examination. I'm not putting you on duty if you're concussed." The man nodded, blinking tiredly before walking away.

Serah and Amy walked down to the kitchens, where Luna was busy kicking a pack of crows out. "And stay out!" She stopped when she saw the two, several specks of blood on her clothes. "Oh, sorry…" Luna growled in fury as another one of the wretched birds crept inside, and she reloaded her rifle. "Excuse me for a moment."

Without looking, she aimed and fired, only for the crafty bird to duck. The round instead hit another soldier, who soared into the castle wall with a pained cry. "Excellent shot, ma'am!"

Serah face-palmed as Luna let out a frustrated sigh. "Why the hell did you get in the damn way for!? Didn't anyone teach you proper gun safety!?"

"I could ask you the same bloody question," a passing guard muttered, bringing a series of snickers from Serah and Amy. Luna rolled her eyes, facing the two again. "Sorry about that. What can I do for you?"

Serah ran a hand through her hair. "The Queen and I are going off to Industrial to check out an unusual report. Alex and Feya are going to be taking off, more specifically their clothes. That means you are in charge. But for God's sake, don't do anything that uses fire or explosives, you pyromaniac. I'd like to return and see that the castle is still in one piece."

Luna smiled innocently, wiping a drop of blood from her arm. "Who, me? Why would I play with fire at all?" Serah gave her an exasperated look, sighing. "I haven't forgotten the time you managed to burn off Private Flowers' uniform. Do you know how awkward that was to explain to his wife about the many burns on his crotch?" _'That was really difficult to explain…'_ "But, there's another thing, too."

Luna raised an eyebrow, her green eyes curious. "Really? What is it?" Serah looked down to slam the butt of her rifle into another damn crow before looking back at the former mercenary. "Help Red out. The poor girl's under too much stress, and I don't want her to feel like no one's going to help her." _'I really feel bad for her…we shouldn't have put Mira as the CO of the Desert Outpost.'_

Luna nodded seriously, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I understand. I'll help out as much as I can. By the way, that guy David is outside in the courtyard waiting for you. Says he wants to talk for a bit." Serah raised an eyebrow as her and the Queen made their way outside, where David was practicing knife combat. The black-haired man looked up as they arrived, brushing some loose strands from his grey eyes. "Ah, you're here."

Serah walked over to him, her eyes narrowed. "It's time you answered some questions. Firstly, how the hell did you even get here?" _'I was transported here by the Guild Seal, but how did David do it?' _He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small porcelain mask. "This."

Behind her, Amy gasped in panic. "I-it can't be…" Serah turned around to see the young Queen was backing away from the object in horror. "What is it?" _'What could possibly be so dangerous about a mask?'_

Amy gulped, eying the object with wide eyes. "That's…the mask of Jack of Blades." Her pale face somehow grew even paler upon seeing the mask, and her eyes were wider than Serah had ever seen them. "I don't get it…who the hell is Jack of Blades?" _'For this person to make Amy so scared, he really must have been a real evil bastard…' _

Amy swallowed nervously, motioning for the two to follow her. "Follow me." Serah shared a glance with David, who merely shrugged and sheathed his knife across his lower back. "Haven't got a clue. So, married are you?"

Serah nodded, glancing as Amy lead to the way to the main library in the castle; with those wounds of hers still fresh, she was still a bit more fragile than normal, and Serah didn't want her to get any more injured than she already was. David followed her gaze, and his eyebrows disappeared into his black hair with a smirk. "To the Queen, no less. I knew those rumors about you having a thing for cute redheads wasn't just a bullshit lie that Jun and Emile made up."

'_I am going to beat him with his own skull,' _Serah sighed mentally, wishing she could take a leaf out of Alex's book and do something that wasn't physically possible. "Oh shut up. You got caught fucking Cathy in your own locker. And if I recall that correctly, you were the one who was suddenly dragged into it after she saw you topless from working out in the gym." _'Asshole.'_

David laughed, rubbing his always tired grey eyes. "Says the one who was spotted making out with that redhead Amanda when we were celebrating that shitty holiday about ten years ago. She was cute though. You sure know how to pick them."

Serah let out a frustrated growl, raising her hand. "I fucking hate you." _'He has got a point…I do really like redheads.' _David laughed again before they entered the library of the castle, where Amy was opening an extremely old book about the Old Kingdom. "Jack of Blades is an entity not of this world. He comes from a separate dimension known as the Void, and is as old as the Old Kingdom itself. When he tried to make Albion bend to his will and burn, the Hero of Oakvale rose to stop him. He fought against him twice, and during their final confrontation, Jack's soul inhabited his mask. The Hero of Oakvale was not strong enough to resist the possession, and he put on the mask, becoming the new vessel for Jack. The terror of Jack of Blades remained in Albion for several decades until the Hero of Oakvale's death, when the mask was lost, seemingly forever."

Serah looked at the mask in David's hand, growing more wary after what she just heard. _'My God…so Jack of Blades was a major threat back then. And if that mask still carries the bastard's soul…then we are in an awful amount of trouble.'_

Amy closed the book, dusting off the cover. "Tell me; has that mask done anything unusual? A strange voice commanding you to wear it and gain power that will make the gods envious?" David shook his head, holding it up and looking closely. "Not at all. But, it did somehow bring me here. There's no mistaking the fact that it contains immense magical power, though. In any case, we need to be extremely careful with it. We don't want to bring back a vengeful bastard who sounds like he'll kill us the first chance he gets."

'_Something doesn't add up here. If that mask is part of Albion's history, then why the hell does David, of all people, have it?' _Serah wondered. "I'll agree with you on that, but how the hell did you get it? It's not of UNSC or Covenant origins." The black-haired man shrugged, putting it away in his back pocket. "ONI was picking up strange readings from Sidewinder's Alpha Base, and sent me to investigate. I had to dig through at least thirty feet of ice and rock to find it, and when I touched it, it brought me here. I've been in Albion for more than three years now, but I never knew you were here…"

Amy placed the book back on the shelf, glancing at a statue of her mother in her prime. "I see…" She glanced over at Serah, and she nodded slowly back. _'Bring him along. I want to see if he still has his skills…' _When the two were in the Spartan III program, David was never the flashy fighter; he used very basic, but extremely effective techniques. He never cared much about showing off for Colonel Ackerson or CPO Mendez like Emile did; he just wanted to get the job done so he could have a smoke later.

Amy met her gaze with a small blink. "We are going to investigate a rather unusual report coming from Bowerstone Industrial. Are you…interested in coming as extra muscle?" David shrugged, cracking his neck. "Might as well. I need an interesting fight before I light one up." He patted the breast pocket on his black/gold suit gently, a small box-shaped container containing his cigarettes inside. _'Knowing him, he maybe only has about half a pack left, the bastard…'_

He walked over towards a table, grabbing both of his weapons: a Steel Katana that he 'borrowed' from an assassin and a Master Clockwork Pistol that he purchased from a weapons store in Bowerstone. "Hopefully this damn thing is as good as the advertisements say. I'd really hate for it to misfire and do the enemy's job for him. Or her, depending."

Serah rolled her eyes, checking her own rifle. "They are. They used to be used by nobles in duels, but they realized they were far too powerful. Cleaning up after one has become…a little less messy since they stopped." _'That's probably the best pistol a person can buy in a shop. Powerful, deadly accurate, and quick to reload.'_ She then winced as a flash of a Brute Major slaughtering a group of civilians with a Gravity Hammer briefly appeared in her mind. _'Why? Is this to remind me that I couldn't save the people I served?' _

She rubbed the side of her head, closing her eyes. _'I haven't failed…I did my best as a soldier.'_ For her to get through this, she had to concentrate on the good things that happened, as far and few between they were. _'I helped saved millions in Albion from certain death; I just recently stopped an attempted coup from that traitor Milton.'_

Serah straightened herself up, blinking her eyes open. _'I can do this…I just have to remind myself that not all the things that happened were horrible.' _"So, are we ready to get going then?"

David and Amy nodded, the black-haired man looking slightly confused. "Yeah, but how are we going to get there? Not by walking, I hope."

Serah and Amy shared a smirk as they grabbed him by the arms. "Nope. We do this instead." Before David could so much as open his mouth to protest, they focused their Will to travel to Bowerstone Industrial.

-0-

Alex lay next to Feya, both of them worn out. "Damn…I'm beat." _'Now I see what Luna was talking about when she said this is more strenuous than fighting for a week nonstop.' _He tiredly reached onto the bedside table, where a small container containing Albion's best cigarettes sat. "Mind if I light one?"

Feya shook her head, resting her head on Alex's smooth chest. "Not at all, sweet. Though you better share them~." The Major chuckled, passing one to her before striking a match on the outside of the box, lighting both of their cigarettes. "That's what I needed…"

Feya blew out a small cloud of smoke, running a hand through her sweaty hair. "I have to admit this…but you are actually the first guy I've liked…I've mostly been with other women." A hint of red rose to her cheeks, and Alex leaned over to gently kiss her cheek. "Well, I count myself lucky then."

Feya laughed, rubbing her other hand against his crotch. "Quiet you. Otherwise…I might have to get a little more aggressive~." Alex tensed, flicking his ashes into a small ceramic tray. "Mmm…you little tease." _'This is who you're going to be with. I guess that means I need to stop bitching about Serah and the Queen, then.'_

Feya smirked and kissed him gently, looking up as a gentle knock sounded on the door. Alex sat up, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "Who is it?" _'If it were Luna, Serah, or Amy, they wouldn't have knocked. They would have just kicked the bloody door down and said, 'Congratulations on getting some'.' _

"Major, it's me Red. You've got a letter from someone named Allison," they answered. Alex shared a glance at Feya, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Who's that?" The blonde Major ran a hand through his hair. "She's one of our spies undercover in Bowerstone. Red, you can come in; you've seen far worse."

The young Captain entered, blushing as she saw the topless Major and Feya in the same bed. "Um, it's actually for the Queen and Serah, but I thought you should know about this as you are the one in charge of the army…" She handed him a small note, and he placed the cigarette in his mouth before opening it. _'Your Majesty, I'm afraid that the gang known as the Silver Serpent is planning on striking the Bowerstone Jail within the week. They intend on breaking in to help the inmate known as 'Leroy Jenkins' escape. Signed, Allison.' _

Alex stood up, pulling his trousers back on and grabbing his shirt. "We need to get every single guard in Bowerstone to guard that prison. And if you spot Allison, get her out of harm's way, ASAP. She'll be on their hit list if they find out what she is." _'Damn…so that gang is going to break in. Maybe we should also move Leroy to a more secure facility.'_

Feya looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Alex, what are you planning on doing about this?" The blonde Major grabbed his pistol, sliding in a clip before throwing his cigarette away into the tray. "Ending the Serpent's reign and reassigning Allison to a new gang before they figure out she's the informant."

-0-

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Serah, Amy, and David landed in Industrial, not far from the factory. The black-haired man groaned and held his stomach, clearly not accustomed to the fast-travel that the two Heroes and Alex were. "Good God…that was the most unpleasant experience I have ever had. And that's saying something."

Serah shrugged, her and Amy completely unaffected due to their Heroic abilities. "Don't feel too bad. Most of our other soldiers threw up for about half an hour on their first try." _'Though for a Spartan, you did fucking horrible…' _

The waterways of Industrial were busier than usual, partially due to the recent economic boom that Albion was experiencing. Several boats were seen with massive amounts of cargo imported from Aurora, Samarkand, Knothole Island, and even the Northern Wastes, though there wasn't much to come from the northern wasteland, as it was mostly snowy mountains and glaciers with a few villages scattered around.

They walked into a factory, and Serah was confident it was the one with the haunting due to the fact that it was completely empty, save for some bloke with a ridiculous Abraham Lincoln beard and hat standing around looking dejected. When he saw them, he sighed. "Ah, Your Majesty. Can you hear it?" He then laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Of course you can. Everyone can bloody hear it! It's that damn voice, and it's driving me out of business!"

'_Well…he's very cross about it,' _Serah sighed. "Have you managed to find out where it's coming from?" The man pulled a pipe out of his back pocket, striking a match and lighting it. "Yes. But every damn time I go near the basement for supplies, a group of these monsters appear and attempt to rip me limb from bally limb! It's ridiculous!"

"Your beard is ridiculous," David muttered, bringing out an amused snicker from Amy, who tried her best to keep a straight face after hearing the comment. "We'll look into it, sir." The man nodded, puffing a cloud of fragrant smoke. "Thank you. Hopefully I can save this place from going under before I sell it…I need to retire to Brightwall soon. This damn smoke is starting to drive me mad."

"Your beard is driving me mad," David sighed as they walked into the factory's cellar. Serah slowly drew her rifle, Amy behind her with her sword in hand. "You really haven't lost your tongue." The black-haired man raised his new pistol, holding it with the barrel upwards. "Of course not. Sometimes, you have to crack jokes to keep on going."

"**Please do not continue your progress down this route!" **a loud, mechanical male said, the three of them looking around for the source of the voice. Amy shook her head, her sword glinting as they pushed open the gate. "Whoever it is, they're not here. They must have some kind of alarm triggered whenever someone goes near the gate."

"Then they're hiding something. Either way, I'm not turning around and pretending this isn't happening," Serah stated as she opened the gate with a kick. _'Something's down here…but I haven't seen any horrible creatures.' _

As they entered what appeared to be a secret underground tunnel built beneath Bowerstone, the only thing they did see was a lone woman, with long red/brown hair, soft brown eyes, and a blue dress that looked to only cover her front and back of her lower half. She looked up as they approached, a small short sword horizontally sheathed across her lower back. "Please, you have to leave, before it's too late!"

"Who are you?" David asked, stepping forward with his pistol raised. The woman didn't flinch, and she stood her ground. "Kasumi. Please, listen to me, Your Majesty. Some things down here…aren't meant to be seen. They haven't been since the time of the mask he carries."

David narrowed his eyes, about to say something when Serah cut him off. "What do you mean? What horrible creatures?" _'Something doesn't add up…this woman doesn't seem to be from Albion at all.' _

Kasumi then closed her eyes and started to spin. "Forgive me, Your Majesty…but old enemies are rising again, and old grievances will be settled." She vanished in a flurry of cherry blossoms, the petals falling gently on the dirt and stone. Serah picked up a petal, gently running her finger over it before she turned to Amy. "Does Albion have cherry blossoms anywhere in the country?"

The young Queen paused, her green eyes narrowed. "Not in the mainland, Aurora, or even Knothole Island. The only place they are found is the East Samarkand." She then looked down at her wife. "Wait a minute…I remember something my mother said about a clan of specially trained warriors coming from a village in the East Mountains of that continent. Do you think…that Kasumi is from there?"

Serah nodded, standing up. "Yeah. But what I'm curious about are the creatures she mentioned. What species of creatures from the time of Jack of Blades are extinct?" Amy looked around to make sure no hostiles had snuck up on them. "There were Fire Scorpions, Wasp Queens, and Sprites. They were all very dangerous, but the scorpions are the scariest in my opinion. They were born in fire, highly aggressive, and bloody massive. Imagine a giant scorpion the size of the general store in Bowerstone. That's how big these things used to grow."

"I hate anything with eight legs," David sighed. "If there's one the size of a large store down here, we're going to need guns. Lots of guns." Serah snorted, looking around the underground cavern with a lot more caution. "We'll need a battalion's worth of men to take down something of that size. As much as I hate to admit it, only a handful of our soldiers could even last a few minutes against a scorpion that big." _'Luna, Alex, Nick, Feya, Allison, Ryan, Red, and maybe Derek could last…' _

"I don't think so," Amy sighed. "Even the great Heroes of old, such as Thunder and Briar Rose, had trouble fighting them in the Witchwood Arena when it was still there. But, if there are Wasp Queens, then we are in for a big fight too. Those damn things were as big as a White Balverine, and were just as fast."

"I'm going to start a bug extermination business in Bowerstone then," David commented, ruffling his black hair. "Eight legs, six legs, it doesn't bloody matter; I hate them equally."

"What about tentacles?" Serah asked innocently, referring to a rather…disturbing event that occurred during training after they ran a 26 mile race. Emile and Jun had pranked David rather badly by replacing all of his vintage Sailor Moon anime with tentacle hentai they 'borrowed' from a pair of other trainees. To say David freaked out was a bit of an understatement; he ran as far from his room as he could, much to Jun and Emile's amusement.

The black-haired man shivered as he too recalled the horrifying experience. "Good God…that was the most traumatic experience I have ever gone through. I hate anything with tentacles even more than bugs or spiders or scorpions."

Serah chuckled, only to stop upon seeing something crawl on the ground in the dark. "What the hell is that?" _'I really don't like this…I hope it isn't a Fire Scorpion.' _When it came into the light, Serah didn't even get the chance to draw her rifle before David and Amy both shot the thing. It was a scorpion the size of a large dog, and it shrieked as the bullets penetrated its tough armor plating. _'Well…at least it isn't one the size of a bloody store.' _

It collapsed on the ground, dead and black blood trickling from the bullet wounds. Serah kicked it over onto its back, noticing the legs were still twitching ever so slightly. _'This thing can take some abuse…' _Serah pressed her sword through its abdomen, and the Fire Scorpion stopped moving entirely. "Well…that wasn't so bad."

As soon as she finished saying that, the ground started to shake harshly, making the three stumble. David looked around as the earthquake rattled several stalactites, the sharpened stones falling onto the ground. "What the hell is this!? I wasn't aware of Albion ever having earthquakes!"

"It doesn't! Something beneath the surface is causing this!" Amy returned. Several more stones fell from the ceiling, and Serah shielded herself from getting hit in the head. From beneath the ground, they all heard a harsh screech, making them look at each other. "Alright, now what the bloody hell was that!?"

The ground beneath Serah started to rise, and the former Spartan jumped out of the way as it erupted, an enormous Fire Scorpion rising from beneath the surface. It shrieked in fury, its giant pinchers snapping and hoping to tear at human flesh. _'My God…that's bloody enormous!'_

The Fire Scorpion was as big as some of the shops in Bowerstone, and its tail alone was at least twelve to fifteen feet long. The stinger was as big as a child, and the scorpion itself was incredibly pissed off. _'We are in an awful amount of trouble here…' _

David ducked under a pincher, firing three rounds from his pistol. The bullets impacted on the tough armor, and it only made the creature more furious, screeching. "No effect! In fact, I think it's just more cross at us!"

Serah backflipped out of the way of the stinger, twirling her sword before striking the sharpened steel against the armor plating. _'Damn. Even swords can't penetrate its armor…' _"I have an idea! But I seriously doubt it'll work!" _'If we can blind the damn thing, then we can attack the thing from all angles to find a weak spot.' _

"What is it!?" Amy asked, reloading her pistol and trying to avoid being chopped to bits by the Fire Scorpion's pinchers. Serah paused to dodge the blows from the creature, panting. "We need to blind this bastard. Then, we can find a weak spot in its armor and kill the damn thing." _'Not much of a plan…but it's better than trying to shoot our way out.'_

"Let's try it anyway! It's not like we have much of a choice!" David replied, loading his pistol. The three of them regrouped, and Serah glanced back at the black-haired man. "When it tries to hit you with its stinger, try and get on its tail and then just shoot it. We need to weaken it as much as possible for this to work." _'The best possible outcome is one of us getting only a bit hurt…'_

David nodded, rolling backwards. "Got it. Let's just hope this bloody works and doesn't end up with us dying in some forsaken, far-off hole in the ground." Serah scoffed and leapt at the Fire Scorpion, blocking the pinchers from tearing her to shreds and looking into the creature's hate filled red eyes. "It won't." _'Hopefully.' _With her sword busy with one pincher, Amy had to join her and block the second one, the two straining to keep their balance.

The scorpion hissed in fury and readied its stinger, preparing to stab one of them to the ground and kill them. As it raised its tail, Serah looked back at David. "Now!" _'If this doesn't work…then we are fucked.'_

The two Heroes jumped back as the Fire Scorpion struck, the stinger impacting the ground. David ran towards it, jumping up onto its tail as it freed its stinger before shooting at it. The scorpion hissed and tried to throw him off, but he had an iron grip and refused to be shaken loose. "Not so fast, you eight-legged son of a bitch."

'_Well…that went better than I expected,' _Serah thought as Amy fired her pistol at the scorpion's crimson eyes. The beast covered its face with its pinchers, and Serah drew her knife before throwing it, the blade spinning into the air and stabbing the Fire Scorpion in its middle eye. It shrieked in pain and thrashed its tail, David losing his grip and slamming into the stone wall with a grunt.

"David!" Serah called out, noticing the scorpion's stinger was hanging onto its tail by a thread of flesh. _'Perfect…we need to destroy that stinger now!' _"Amy!"

The Queen nodded, striking the beast with a powerful Blades spell. The magical swords struck the weakened stinger, and it fell before striking the scorpion in the middle of its body. It shrieked again, and Serah drew her sword, looking over at Amy. "Give me yours, quickly!" The Queen nodded, tossing the former Spartan her sword. "Finish the fight."

With a sword in each hand, Serah jumped up, her wings growing from her shoulders as she spun and slashed the beast. _'This thing shouldn't even exist. Kasumi was right all along.' _The two swords cut the Fire Scorpion into pieces, and Serah landed, panting as she tossed Amy her sword back before withdrawing her knife. "Thanks. That worked out much better than I originally expected it to." _'I honestly thought one of us was going to have to be carried out of here.' _

David limped over to her, bleeding from his back. "Well…I'd like to lie and say that was great fun." Even though he was wounded, they still managed to laugh. That was, until the incredibly awful smell of a dead giant Fire Scorpion hit their nostrils. "Ugh…that's just dreadful."

Serah cast an Ice Storm spell, and the remains of the beast froze solid. "Ugly bastard." She struck it again with her sword, and the frozen body of the dead scorpion shattered into millions of tiny pieces, the horrible stench gone. "Wow, that actually worked." _'That was something else… I can see how even the great Heroes of old would have trouble with one.'_

She looked at the wound on David's back, seeing only a slow trickle of blood. "How bad?" The black-haired man shrugged, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and striking it with a match. "I've felt worse."

He blew out a cloud of smoke, the embers falling onto the dusty ground. "So…that was a Fire Scorpion. A fully grown one, too." Amy nodded, looking at the tiny frozen shards that remained. "Yes. And we should move, just in case there are more of them."

Serah led them through the caverns, only to stop as they heard a dull roar from up ahead. "Wait. Something else is down here…" _'That almost sounds like wings, like from a giant dragonfly or something. It can't be…a Wasp Queen?' _Drawing her sword, Serah crept around a bend to see a giant wasp flying furiously around the caverns. "Wasp Queen!" _'That is one big fucking bug…I don't think we can just squash it with our foot.' _

David and Amy drew their swords, the young Queen gasping at the sight. "The strongest of all the giant insects from the time of Jack of Blades…the Wasp Queen herself." Her face was pale as the wasp circled around them furiously, its wings a blur of motion. "And this is a fully grown one, too."

"Dear Avo…which one of us is the damn 'Bug Whisperer' here?" David sighed, placing his cigarette in the corner of his mouth and twirling his katana gracefully in his hands. "I've never seen anything like it."

Serah ignited a Fire/Blades spell in her hand, charging up the spell as the Wasp Queen charged. "I have another idea. Since this thing is just a giant bug, why don't we do something smart and burn it like the rest of them?"

"Because it is a wasp the size of a small elephant?" David suggested dryly. He then winced as the former Spartan slapped him, his cigarette falling onto the ground and going out. "You haven't lost your slap. And come on; don't you know how much those cost?"

"Quit your bitching. You have at least half a pack left," Serah returned, releasing the magic spell. The fiery blades pierced the Wasp Queen's wings, and the giant bug fell on the ground with a shrill cry of pain. With its wings now ruined, the creature was unable to fly and use its main weapon, a four-foot long stinger. However, its jaws still snapped desperately at Serah's legs as the General drew her rifle, leveling the weapon at the Wasp Queen's head. "Ugly six-legged bitch."

She fired, and the round tore through the Wasp Queen's eye, guts splattering on her boots. "Ick. I'll need another change before the day is over." _'It wasn't as bad as when we were in that damn Hobbe Cave in Mistpeak…our clothes were beyond rank afterwards; not even the most desperate of beggars would wear them.'_

Amy cast a Fire/Vortex spell, the fiery winds burning the body and scattering the ashes away from them. "I'm getting tired of bugs and arachnids now. If I never see another one, it'll be too soon."

"**I implore you: do not continue your way down this route!" **the loud mechanical voice said again, making Serah jump. "Bloody hell…I nearly forgot about the reason why we're in the middle of some cavern under Bowerstone." _'Funny what fighting things that are supposed to be extinct can do…'_

David sighed, drawing another cigarette from his pack and striking a match against it. "Me too, if it's any consolation. I signed up for this job to find the source of a haunting, not to fight against giant insects that haven't been seen for nearly six hundred years, give or take a few decades."

Serah rolled her eyes, placing her rifle across her back. "You joined up to have a smoke without having some noblewoman bitch at you. Don't kid yourself now." The Queen let out a snicker, and David looked at her innocently. "Who, me? Why would I go out of my way to cause distress to some noblewoman when there are other things causing her stress, like her husband possibly being undersized and drunk?"

"Because you screwed one of our doctors' daughters during training," Serah said dryly, making David whistle innocently, which considering he had a cig in his mouth was quite the feat. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Cathy wasn't related to any of them."

"I wasn't talking about that sleaze. I meant Erika," Serah shot back, making the black-haired man blush. "Oh, her…did I really sleep with her? I honestly can't recall a single bloody thing about that."

"You did, and good God were you drunk. I think either Carter or Jun spiked your drink with some vodka for that to happen," Serah stated, stopping in front of a heavy iron gate. "And this certainly looks interesting…" _'A gate, here? Why would anyone place a gate under Bowerstone? It's not like there's a mine here or anything…'_

David crouched down, looking at it intensely. "Cast iron. And it's old, too. Really old." He puffed on his cig, running a finger down its hinges. "Judging by the rust, I'd say it's at least fifty or so years old. This isn't accidental, either. Look at how this is the only way through the cavern. It leads to something."

He looked at a small insignia on the gate, narrowing his eyes. "Serah, light a Fire spell here. Something is written here…" Serah and Amy crouched down next to him, both of them providing light with their magic and reading the small inscription. "Welcome to Understone."

The three of them looked at each other, standing up. "Understone? What the hell is that?" Serah shrugged, looking at an equally confused Amy. "Did your mother ever tell you about this?" The young Queen shook her head, running a hand through her red hair. "Not a thing, as far as I can remember. I don't think even she knew about this…it sounds like there's a city underneath Bowerstone itself."

"Yeah. And if this city is the source of the haunting, then we'll have to commit a bit of vandalism to get in," David sighed. He drew his knife, ready to saw through when Serah lashed out with her leg, kicking it down with a loud crash. "Or, we can just kick it down and write the gatekeeper an apology explaining why his gate is lying on the ground in the middle of a cave. Nice going, Serah."

"**This is a warning to all citizens of Understone! Intruders from the surface have entered the city! Please, remain in your homes until they have been dealt with accordingly," **the voice said, a loud alarm blaring in their ears. Serah winced and covered hers, grimacing. "Ow…that is really bloody loud." _'They can hear the alarm from Aurora, for fuck's sake…'_

"Well, there goes any plan we may have had for keeping quiet," David sighed, holding his pistol in his hands. "Shame. I like playing 'Hide-and-Seek'." Serah led them past the now broken gate, wincing as the alarm continued to blare. "Someone shut the damn thing off!" _'I swear to God, I'm going to shoot the bloody thing!' _

They ran through the cavern, stopping as they reached a small town, complete with houses, a park, and even a couple of statues. "Well…this is not what I expected at all." Serah saw the people, who were just as human and normal as the ones living on the surface. _'If it weren't for the fact that this is built underground, this could be a normal neighborhood in Bowerstone.' _"Right…so we're the invaders who are bent on exterminating all life in Understone. That's lovely. I needed a new nickname."

Upon seeing the three, the people began to scream and run away into their houses, making them look at each other. David shrugged, pulling on his cigarette to puff out a cloud of smoke. "It's as if they've never seen someone from above. Ah well…"

Serah scoffed, but her eyes caught a slight flicker of movement from a house that was bigger than the others, with a loudspeaker attached to it. "There. That's where it's coming from." _'Someone, or something, is up there…I can only hope it's not hostile.' _

Serah led them towards the building, but as they reached the flight of stairs leading up to it, a dense and eerie fog surrounded them. "Wait." _'This isn't natural…something is causing this.' _As she slowly drew her sword, she began to feel pain in her mind, along with another entity. _"You abandoned your team to die on Reach."_

Serah fell to one knee, panting hard and trying to keep herself from screaming. This was a pain like she had never experienced since the Spartan program, and this being seemed to be draining her life force. _"You sent hundreds of your own people to their deaths to fight the Darkness. They will never forgive you!"_

She was dimly aware of someone screaming her name, but she couldn't stand up. She was paralyzed, frozen on the spot as this entity continued to taunt her. _"You are nothing more than a murderer! You stood over his body as he begged for you to spare his life, and instead, you slit his throat and watched as his blood turned your boots red!"_

Whatever this thing was, it seemed to thrive on all of the dark memories Serah thought she banished from her mind, particularly her assassination of her old superior officer after he betrayed the UNSC and joined the Insurrection. She didn't want to do it, but orders were orders, and disobeying ONI meant two things: life imprisonment or death.

'_No. He was a traitor, and joining those colonial terrorists sealed his fate,' _Serah thought, trying her hardest to banish the being from her mind. _'As for the rest, they knew they would possibly die in battle, but they willingly sacrificed themselves for the salvation of the country.'_

She was able to move slightly, and she heard something screech in fury at her attempts to move. _'And get out of my head!' _The fog threatened to swirl around and trap her, the sound of gunfire filling her ears. _'I won't let you take them. Never.' _

Serah stood up, pushing her way through to fog until she came across a creature that hid its face behind its hands, with white rags covering its body. It let out another scream, and Serah hissed in anger before she swung her sword, the blade cutting the thing in half. The creature let out another scream before fading away, the fog also disappearing.

The former Spartan nearly collapsed, using her sword to keep her from falling on the ground. She had never fought something that seemed to drain her life force and endlessly taunt her, and she was exhausted. _'What was that?'_

She wobbled, and as she fell someone caught her. "Serah!" The General's eyes looked into Amy's, which were round with worry. "I'm okay…" _'No, I'm not. I can barely move.'_

The Queen shook her head, pulling her over her shoulder. "No, you're not. You look as though you can hardly stand, and after what you just fought, I can't say I'm surprised." Serah let out a hacking cough, trying to catch her breath. "What the hell was that? It just seemed to thrive on my darkest memories…"

Amy helped Serah limp up the stairs, jerking her head towards David. "Go on ahead. If anything hostile pops up, keep it busy." The black-haired man nodded and walked on ahead, and the Queen looked back down at her barely conscious wife. "It was a Banshee. They demoralize their victims by seeing into their heart and telling them all the things that haunt them. For it to affect you like this…you must have a lot that haunts you."

Serah nodded, her limbs burning as they made their way up the stairs. "I do…how much of that did you hear?" _'Not for my sake, but I don't want to have you feel as though you need to share this burden…' _Amy lowered her eyes, a single tear running down her cheek. "All of it. Is it true?"

Serah lowered her own gaze, sighing. "Yes. My commanding officer was a traitor, and I was the one tasked with assassinating him. I didn't want to do it, but I always thought I did what was best for humanity. After what that thing just did to me though…"

Amy didn't answer; instead, she kept silent as she dragged Serah up the stairs to the mansion, the sounds of gunfire reaching their ears. "He sounds busy." Serah coughed again, but her strength didn't seem to be returning at all. Every step was an excruciating effort, and as they reached the final flight, she collapsed. "Stop…"

Amy tried to help her up, her green eyes firm. "I am not leaving you here to die, Serah. Don't you dare try and suggest it, either." The General shook her head, unable to stand. "Listen…you have to. I'm just going to slow you down; whatever that Banshee did to me, it's as if it sucked every last bit of energy from me. I can't go on…" It was painful for Serah to say those words, as she prided herself on the soldier she was. _'Leave me…you have to.'_

Amy picked her up, swinging her over her shoulders and carrying her up the stairs. "I am not going to leave you for the wolves. I will see you out of here alive." Serah didn't have the strength to protest any further, and she rested her head against Amy's shoulder. "So stubborn, you know that?" _'Reminds me of when I was younger…'_

Amy grimaced as they reached the landing above them, and David ran over to them, reaching for something in his pocket. "Damn…we can't risk letting her regain her strength by herself. This will have to do." He pulled a tube, filled with a red liquid.

Serah looked up, her eyes hazy as she saw it. "I don't think that's going to be the best wine from a pub, is it?" David shook his head, taking a careful sniff. "Not at all, I'm afraid. But, it should help you." Amy carried Serah over to a bench, letting her rest her head on her lap as she took the tube from David, who yawned. "It's a Will potion, mixed with a Live Forever health potion. Combination that I've been working on for over a year."

Serah raised it to her lips, drinking it slowly. "It tastes like blood mixed with vodka…" But, as it trickled down her throat, she could feel her strength slowly start to return. She was able to sit up, though her limbs still burned as if they were on fire. Amy rubbed her back, gently, trying to ease the pain in her shoulders. "Feel any better?"

Serah nodded, grimacing as she forced her legs to respond and move. "A bit. When we get done, I think I'm going to sleep for a year and a half." _'And then I could use a drink or two…'_ When she tried to walk, her legs nearly gave out on her again, and she had to use her sword to keep herself from falling. "Well…this is an inconvenience." _'I don't think I'm going to be able to walk on my own…' _

Amy helped her up, keeping her on her shoulder. "Lean on me. We'll get done with this soon, and then we can get the hell out of here." Serah leaned against her, forcing herself to go on. "I hope so…" They passed the remains of a bunch of Skeleton Hobbes, and David gave each one a quick shot to make sure they stayed dead.

Amy reached the door of the mansion, pushing it open slowly with her free hand. The loud voice seemed to know they had entered, and it spoke again. **"Intruders, you have entered my home, and for that, I must commend you. But, if you have entered this room, then that means I, Barnum, is surely dead."**

Amy smiled softly as she saw the skeleton of a man sitting by a recording device, shaking her head. "Barnum, you crafty son of a bitch…" Serah cast a look up at her wife, confused. "Who is…?"

Amy reached down, placing Serah in a comfortable-looking chair. "He was an old friend of my mother's. He invented the camera, and was responsible for the transformation of Westcliff. When he took a photo of Reaver and told him it would take three months to develop, he shot him. But….it seems Barnum was a sneaky little bugger and wore this." She picked up a small vest, with a bullet hole in it. "This is the closest we've come to making a bulletproof coat, and apparently, it saved Barnum's life."

Serah blinked slowly, the effects of the potion speeding up. Her arms no longer burned, and she was able to stand up without wobbling too badly. "And he ended up founding Understone…he must have been incredibly rich when he died." _'Though that gold can create more problems than normal. Assassins or bandits might try and rob him…'_

The door opened behind them, and they whirled around to see the factory owner had followed them. He stroked his beard before rubbing his hands excitedly. "So, that's where the bastard was all this time…" He looked at the Queen, his eyes alight. "Think about this. We can run this town, and make the people work for us! We would be filthy rich!"

Serah let out a sharp hiss, angry at the man for suggesting to exploit the people of Understone for nothing but money. _'Bastard…' _Amy narrowed her eyes, glancing at the two buttons on the recording device. One would let the people know about the outside world, and the other would keep them imprisoned forever, without them ever feeling the wind on their face or the light of the sun. "How about no?"

Before the man could protest, Amy pressed the button that would set them free. **"Citizens of Understone, the outside world is indeed safe enough for you to go to. If you wish to go, then you are free to do so."**

"No!" the man screamed, drawing a pistol from his hip. Before he could aim at the Queen, a single shot rang out, and he fell in a heap. David blew on his own pistol, looking at the hole through the man's head. "To think I would have to waste precious ammo on a git like you…"

He holstered the weapon, watching as the cavern then opened up, letting the people of Understone leave if they wanted to. "So…that's the end of this."

Serah nodded, leaning backwards and panting. "Yeah…now let's get out of here." She held Amy's hand, and the three of them left the cavern of Understone behind.

-0-

_Bowerstone Castle_

Serah let out a sigh of relief when she saw the castle, still completely intact without any signs of being on fire from a certain pyromaniac. "Wow…Luna actually listened to me." She was exhausted, still relying on Amy for support as they made their way into the castle. Once inside, she caught Alex and Feya running towards them. "What is it?"

Alex handed her a note, and Serah noticed several hickeys on his neck. "This." The former Spartan read it, her eyes wide. "Damn…" _'We need to get Allison out of there, now.' _She leaned on Amy's shoulder, her legs starting to give out on her again. "Alex, I need you to lead a direct assault on their headquarters. I'll send Nick and Red to you, and the three of you should be able to eliminate them while we take the prisoner to his execution."

The blonde Major nodded, rubbing the hickeys on his neck. "I understand. When do we strike?" Serah used her sword to keep her upright, gritting her teeth. "Tomorrow. We'll launch a first strike and take the fight to them."

Alex nodded, and he and Feya left, leaving her and the Queen alone as they hobbled up the stairs to the Royal Bedroom. Once inside, Amy left to put their adopted daughter to bed, leaving Serah to collapse on the bed. "Finally…" _'That Banshee was a nasty bitch…it really did more than just demoralize me. It sucked my energy, and might have killed me.'_

She wanted nothing more than to just lie next to her wife, feel her warmth, and go to sleep. Even when Amy did return, it seemed Avo was a cruel mistress, and sleep did not come her way.

Serah lost count of the hours that passed, but after lying down next to her sleeping wife for what seemed to be an eternity, she finally cracked. _'I can't stand this…' _

Moving quietly as to not disturb the sleeping Queen, she got out of bed and headed downstairs, where a few of the guards and servants were still on shift. Serah went directly to the kitchens, got herself some ale, and leaned against the wall of the castle, sighing.

She hated how she was weakened so much by the Banshee, even with her Heroic abilities. _'How can one thing do this to me? Even when the Elites arrived by the dozen, I was capable of slaughtering them before they so much as spit my way.'_

'_I need a new way to fight them. I can't do what I did this time and expect things to turn out different.'_

"_Hear me, warrior from a separate world," _a soft voice whispered. Having not gotten over the malicious tone of the Banshee as it tormented her, Serah placed the ale down before drawing her sword, the blade glinting in the moonlight that leaked through the window. "Who's there!?"

"_I have seen what has happened. You need something that has been kept secret for centuries," _it whispered. Serah's blue eyes were narrowed into slits, and her grip on her sword tightened as she took a step towards the vaults of the castle, which had been locked for centuries. "And what might that be?" Her tone was little more than a growl.

"_You need a weapon that was used by another great warrior from another world. You need…Hal's Rifle," _it informed. The doors to the vaults swung open, and inside was a weapon. A very familiar weapon.

Serah walked towards it, rubbing her eyes to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. It was an Assault Rifle, gleaming new. "It can't be…" She picked it up, looking the weapon over. The Assault Rifle was an MA5B, a weapon Serah was very familiar with. The 7.62 rounds were more than capable of penetrating any armor in Albion, and the automatic weapon was capable of holding up to 32 rounds per clip, making it the most advanced firearm in Albion.

"_This is now yours. Use it to cut down any enemy in your path, and most of all, use it to protect those you hold closest to your heart, Serah B-312."_

_**Save game…Quit!**_

_**A/N: Well, how's that? After getting tormented by a Banshee, Serah gets Hal's Rifle. As for using Barnum as the 'mayor' of Understone, that's merely because I forgot the other guy's name lol (if someone could inform me, I'd be happy). More weapons from Fable 2 are on the horizon, including the Red Dragon and Daichi. Till next time!**_

_**Ja'ne**_


	7. Extraction and Elimination

_**A/N: Hey guys, I am here following up the longest chapter ever with another one within the same week. After a few questions about certain weapons given to characters, I have the full list, which I will give now.**_

_**Serah: Hal's Rifle**_

_**Amy: Red Dragon**_

_**Alex: Daichi**_

_**David: Dragonstomper .48**_

***Extraction and Elimination***

_Bowerstone Market_

_Silver Serpent Headquarters_

Allison watched as the members of the Silver Serpent gang prepared their gear for a raid on the Bowerstone Jail. She had sent a message to the castle, alerting the Queen of the strike, but it wouldn't be long before one of the bandits found out just who the informant was. _'It won't be long before they start panicking when their plans go up in smoke.'_

For now, Allison didn't have to do anything but wait patiently, like a tiger stalking its prey. _'I almost wish the attack would happen today. Knowing the Major, he'll have every single guard in Bowerstone on high alert. The Serpent's reign is over.' _She drew her only weapon, a razor sharp knife, and began to toss it in the air nonchalantly. Some of the bandits who were near her quickly averted their gaze; Allison twirling a knife was usually accompanied by a few dead bodies.

She was by far the best knife fighter out of any of the members, having been trained by General Serah herself. Allison kept tossing the knife into the air, the blade completing several series of graceful arcs. She let it hang on the tip of her finger, where it stood for a few seconds, perfectly still. It started to tip when a bandit slammed his hand on the table in irritation, and she sucked her teeth in frustration before sheathing it. _'Damn. I'm itching for a good fight.'_

Allison loved everything about the thrill of battle, from the sound of gunfire filling the air to the feeling of her knife cut through an enemy. The quicker her adrenaline got pumping, the better and harder she fought.

"Look, I'm telling you, Balverines are harder to fight than Hollow Men because they are unpredictable!" the bandit who slammed his hand on the table insisted. The man across from him rolled his eyes. "And I'm agreeing with you. You've been trying to sell me on your 'Smart equals easy, dumb equals tough' theory for the last five years."

Rolling her eyes, Allison made her way over to the two, making the room fall silent. She might have been the only female in the gang, but her superior fighting skills earned her tremendous respect. She stopped in front of the two, aware of them looking at her slim body. "Look, Balverines and whatever else gets in our way are the same things. Targets. Just give us guns that go bang, knives that cut like butter, semi-accurate information, and we'll cut them loose, scrape them off our boots, and march onto the next batch."

One of the men grinned and poured two glasses of wine. "I love how you make mass murder sound so simple. It's poetic." He handed her a glass, and Allison drank it in one gulp. "I've had worse." _'Trying to get me wasted so I'll sleep with you is not a smart idea.' _"And don't try and get me drunk so we can have sex. The last guy who tried that is about six yards behind you and six feet straight down."

The men turned around to see the tombstone, one of them gasping. "You killed Kenny!" Another pointed his finger at her, his face red. "You bastard!" Allison shrugged, blinking her green eyes slowly. "He deserved it." She slowly drew her knife again, tossing it into the air and catching it. The two who insulted her backed off, for they had seen Allison's fighting skill firsthand and didn't want to join the unfortunate bandit who tried to take advantage of her.

"Thought so," she said coolly. "Now, back off. Otherwise, you'll be joining him." The door to the gang leader's office swung open, and Allison turned her gaze to him, giving the two one last glare. _'I'd have fun killing you myself.' _

The leader was a tall man, with a neatly trimmed beard, a scar on his left cheek, dark green eyes, and messy black hair. At his side was a Steel Cutlass, and he beckoned to Allison with his hand. "I want a word with you, privately."

'_Damn. He must want to talk about the attack,' _she sucked her teeth. She made her way over to him, and once inside, the man closed the door, gesturing to a comfortable seat that was a product of a raid in Millfields. "Please, take a seat."

Allison took a seat, crossing her legs. "May I ask what this is about?" The leader nodded, his dark green gaze meeting hers. "Yes. We both know that someone within our ranks is reporting to the Army. The result of the raid in Millfields suggests that someone alerted them to the attack, as they were prepared for us and we barely got out in time before we met with Avo."

"Are you suggesting I am the traitor?" the brunette asked, pretending to be offended and furious. "May I remind you, it was me who decided that we should move our base of operations to a more secluded section of Bowerstone, and our raids have been highly successful since." _'And you damn know it.' _

"That is true," the man admitted, pouring the two of them a glass of wine. "But, as you are the only woman within our ranks, it does lead to some suspicion amongst my men. And I would hate for such a beautiful young woman as yourself to be a traitor to the life of a mobster."

'_Keep believing that. The Silver Serpent isn't half of what it used to be during Queen Sparrow's rule,' _Allison thought irritably. "One would think you are singling me out just because I'm the only woman amongst you ruffians." The man chuckled as he sipped his wine. "Ruffians? We're not mercenaries now. We're one of Bowerstone's most feared gangs, now that Nigel Ferret is dead. If we wanted to, we could take control of the entire city."

'_You barely hold control over this small sector,' _Allison sighed. The Serpent's power over the last few decades was on the rapid decline, due to several uprisings within the gang. With order somewhat restored, the gang was barely surviving due to the rising strength of the army led by Major Alex._ 'And by tomorrow, you will be destroyed completely. There isn't an opponent Alex can't handle. By the time you realize who has been leading you on, I'll be long gone.'_

"What time do you plan on striking the jail to free Leroy Jenkins?" she asked, taking a sip of her wine. The spy knew very well that they wanted to free the man from his cell, as he was a vital member of the Serpent. What they didn't know was that they would be walking straight into an ambush Allison set up. _'Leroy is long gone, probably being executed for his crimes. The best soldiers in the Royal Army are preparing to strike this base, and I'll be assigned to spy on a new gang. You won't even know that it was me all along.'_

"Tomorrow morning. The sooner we get Leroy out, the better," the man answered, picking up a decorated pistol and placing it in his holster. "You can tell the boys to get ready. We'll all go in and strike."

Allison nodded, standing up and leaving. "Very well." _'Perfect. This gives me the chance to slip away from right under your nose. The next target for me is the remnants of Nigel Ferret's gang, who abandoned the new hideout in Bowerstone Market to hide in the remains of Old Town.'_

She drew her knife from her back, the men turning around to see her. "Listen up. The boss wants us to get that git Leroy out of his cell tomorrow morning. Personally, he shouldn't have been a pillock and gotten caught, but no matter." The men shared a chorus of laughter, only to stop as the brunette spy began to toss her knife nonchalantly. "Get ready. It won't be easy to get in. Now, get out of my sight and do something useful before this knife ends up in your arse."

The members hurried away, for they knew from the few tombstones inside the base that she was serious. To say Allison was a bit knife-happy is being generous. The spy smirked to herself as she watched them disperse, sheathing her knife with ease and walking out of the base. _'If anyone asks, I'll tell them I wanted to hit the pub for a few drinks before the strike.' _

The cool air of night struck her face, and apart from a few street candles, the town of Bowerstone Market was dark. It was the perfect time for her to slip away, as no one would take notice of her. And those who might spot her would think she was an ordinary young woman on her way home from the pub, as she didn't give anything away with her movements or appearance.

She entered the pub, a young redhead serving drinks. "May I help you?" Allison nodded, placing a few gold coins on the bar. "Two spirits." The barmaid reached under the counter before placing the bottles on the bar, taking the gold. "Thank you."

"So, it seems I was right all along," a teasing voice said behind her. Allison sighed, nudging a bottle to her left. "Hello Alex." The blonde Major took a seat next to her, and the two began to drink. "Interesting meeting place. And thanks for the drink, by the way."

The spy rolled her eyes before giving him a glare, noticing the pair of hickeys on his neck. "Shut the hell up. Unlike you, I haven't been sleeping with Feya." Alex let his head crash onto the bar, making a few drunks look at him briefly before continuing their conversations about making a Whore House in Bowerstone Industrial. "Don't you start, either. I've heard enough rubbish from Luna and Nick already."

Allison smirked, taking a swig of her spirits. "So, did you get my message?" The Major nodded, looking behind himself briefly before leaning in close. "Yeah. Serah has every guard in Bowerstone on high alert and guarding the prison. We moved Leroy into the castle's secret holding cell, and you are going to be sent undercover to destroy the remains of Nigel Ferret's crew next. When do they strike?"

"Tomorrow morning," Allison answered quietly. "I spoke with the boss himself about that. He's unaware that it's all an ambush we set up." Alex smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Not bad at all, kid. You ought to be a spy."

"I am, tosser…"

Alex laughed and finished his drink, standing up. "Come on. Let's get you the hell out of here." Allison nodded, picking up her drink and following him outside. She looked backwards briefly, nearly running into the Major's back. "What?"

The blonde had his eyes closed, and his hands were on his sword. "We're not alone here." Out of the corner of her eye, Allison caught a flicker of movement from above, on one of the shops' roof. _'Assassins, maybe?'_

It was late, and a slow rain began to fall as the two readied themselves for an attack. Alex let out a frustrated sigh, drawing his sword slowly. "You know, you can be a bit more creative than an ambush on two trying to get home from the pub." As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of men wearing all black dropped down, one smiling. "Well spotted, sir. Now, please stand by while we assassinate you."

'_Damn…someone has a bounty on either me or the Major,' _Allison thought as she pressed her back against the Major's, drawing her knife. "So, who wants us dead?" The assassin closest to her grinned, twirling his katana. "Wouldn't you like to know, sweetheart? It's only the Major of the Army we want, but if you insist on interfering with our work, you will have to be eliminated as well."

The brunette growled in irritation, while Alex decided to laugh at them. "Ah…I wonder who it is I managed to piss off this time. The list ought to be quite long now." Allison rolled her eyes as the two assassins circled them slowly. "Like Feya's dad, for instance?" The blonde chuckled again, shrugging. "Most likely. Though if these chaps are from the Highwaymen's Guild, then there's a rule that the victim must know who wants them dead."

"Well, well, well…it seems someone knows about the Code," one of the assassins murmured. "Very well. The one who wants you dead is none other than the leader of the Silver Serpent." Allison narrowed her eyes, hissing. _'That bastard…if he thinks a pair of assassins is enough to take out the best soldier in the Army, then he's mistaken.' _"So…what did he pay you with? He doesn't have enough gold to provide payment."

"He said he would pay us in firearms. More specifically, a Dragonstomper .48," the assassin answered. "Now, enough talking. You know far too much as well, so you must also be exterminated." He lunged forward, and Alex hissed in her ear. "You take the left!"

Allison swung her knife, the blade catching the assassin's katana before she kicked out. Her boot missed the assassin's chest as the man jumped backwards, grinning under his mask. "So…we might be able to have a little fun after all. Good. I hate it when a victim fails to provide a decent fight."

The spy blocked a flurry of strikes from the assassin, her knife a blur of motion as she tried to prevent herself from being killed. _'I've never fought against assassins before…' _She tried to recall every last detail that Serah had taught her on knife fights against a stronger, faster opponent. _'It's a game of chess, in a way. There are moves to counter their attacks, and counters against those moves, and so forth.' _Her blade caught under the hilt of the assassin's sword, thrusting it upwards before she punched him in the nose, making him stumble.

The man wiped the blood dripping from his broken nose, wincing slightly. "Bloody hell dear…and that bastard said it was supposed to be fairly simple. Maybe we ought to kill him when he pays us." He lunged forward, and Allison side-stepped, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting. The sword fell from his grasp, and he used his spare hand to grab a pistol, firing once.

The bullet grazed her shoulder, making her hiss in pain. _'So…they do fight dirty occasionally. Good. This gives me more information about your tactics._' Allison kicked the man in the ribs, and he doubled over in pain. _'There's my opening.' _She jumped behind him, and with one clean motion, she slit his throat.

The assassin let out a gurgled cry that was cut short, his body convulsing as blood splashed out from the fatal wound. Allison stepped away from his twitching body, wiping the blood off her knife. _'One down…' _

She glanced over at Alex, who had too knocked the sword out of the assassin's hands and had him pinned. "There's one problem with you chaps. You are all too predictable." He slashed the man's chest open, and the assassin fell in a heap, blood flowing steadily from the wound.

Allison made a small, "Hmph," making the blonde turn back to her. "Not bad of a fight. I see Serah has taught you well." He sheathed his sword, walking away from the two dead assassins. "Let's get out of here. "

-0-

_Bloodstone_

Ryan stood behind the Furniture store in Bloodstone, his pistols in his hands as he waited for Mr. Blank to show up. The man was the leader of The Society, an organization notorious during Queen Sparrow's rule for posting assassination bounties on various peoples' heads. _'It won't be long, now.' _

As much as Ryan wanted to strike, as Mr. Blank had killed his younger brother, his job was merely to spy and send messages to their victims, warning them of the attack. He had been deployed in Bloodstone for a few months now, and he still managed to keep himself mostly away from the public eye. He actually began to like the lawless town, despite the amount of people, both male and female, who occasionally asked him to sleep with them. _'Bloody raunchy imbeciles. Serah sure knows how to pick someone who isn't even remotely tempted to spread his seed through the town.'_

Ryan smiled to himself as he caught a small flicker of movement out his dark blue eyes. It was a man, who was acting rather suspicious as he darted his way through the streets of the port town. _'You aren't fooling anyone, kid. You're looking for someone here. And let's be honest; if you're looking for anyone in Bloodstone, it's Mr. Blank.'_

Sticking to the outside of the building, Ryan began to follow him, eventually reaching a small alleyway. _'The meeting place never changes…you'd think they'd move the location as not to be tracked so easily.' _Spotting a small balcony above the alleyway, Ryan carefully pushed his way into the building, making sure not to wake the occupants. If he was caught, he'd be lucky to not get shot. _'All I have to do is listen. Not just to see if Blank has a bounty on anyone, but to make sure those people don't wake up.' _

The man stopped below, swallowing nervously. "Mr. Blank, you wanted to see me?" The assassin leader nodded coolly, folding his arms across his chest. "Yes. This bounty is not one I would entrust to just anybody. This matter is a bit, shall we say, personal for me."

The man visibly relaxed, and the spy kept his pistols in hand as he listened quietly. "Who is it that you want me to eliminate, sir?" Mr. Blank's eyes flashed under his red mask, and even in the darkness, Ryan could see the amusement in his eyes. "Your target, if you accept, is none other than Alex, the Major of the Royal Albion Army."

Ryan narrowed his eyes, his grip on his firearms tightening ever so slightly. _'Damn. Blank's put a bounty on the Major's head.' _He pressed his back against the wall, keeping a careful eye on the sleeping occupants of the home. _'I have to send a message to Serah, fast.' _

The man gasped, his surprise indicating the target was not one he expected. "Sir, you can't be serious! For what reason do you want me to murder the leader of the army!?" Mr. Blank snorted in annoyance, brandishing his fist. "I haven't finished yet, you imbecile. I don't wish him dead. This is merely a test for him, as he is currently shagging my little sister."

Ryan tried to contain a snicker, his shoulders shaking. _'So, Alex is sleeping with Feya…I can honestly say I am not the least bit surprised. I think everyone in the army saw that was going to happen sooner or later…' _He quickly regained his composure, holstering one of his pistols. _'What surprises me is that Feya's older brother is actually Mr. Blank. Even more worrying is whether Feya knows about this. We never even knew she had a brother.'_

"A test?" the man asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What do you mean by that?" Mr. Blank folded his arms across his chest again, a small smile on his lips. "This is a test to make sure that if push comes to punch, then he will fight with every last breath to defend Feya and live. If you don't return within a week, I'll presume you have been killed and the test was successful. A small hunch suggests to me that he will be somewhere within the Bowerstone area; Millfields most likely. Do you accept this contract?"

"Even though I will probably end up either cut in two or at the bottom of Bower Lake? Yes," the man said dryly, bringing a soft chuckle from Mr. Blank. "Good. Now, go." The man left in a hurry, heading towards the Bloodstone docks to catch a ship to Bowerstone. Ryan leaned against the wall of the home, keeping an eye on the people sleeping in rickety old excuse for a bed to make sure they didn't wake up and attempt to shoot him for trespassing. Though knowing Bloodstone, there was always the chance he would get invited into their bed. _'If there's one thing I actually like about this place, it's that the justice system isn't corrupted by politicians. It's either you get off the hook or you get shot.'_

Mr. Blank then left as well, and Ryan let out a soft sigh, holstering his remaining pistol. _'About time. I was getting tired of standing inside some random bloke's house.' _The spy slowly pushed the window open before jumping out, landing on the ground below. His black cloak billowed in the wind, ruffling his equally black hair as he made his way to the docks. _'They might ask for my name, but I have enough gold to convince them otherwise.' _

He stopped on the docks as he watched the man he was following get on a ship, and he too approached the captain. "Hello. I'd like a one-way trip to Bowerstone, if you don't mind." The captain was a scruffy sort, and it was possible that he was one of the drunken old pirates who used to be around during Queen Sparrow's rule. His beard was very scraggly, with only hints of brown in it.

He snorted, folding his arms. "It'll cost you three hundred gold for the passage. And I'll need your name." Ryan smirked to himself as he reached into dark grey suit, pulling out a handful of gold coins. "What do you say to five hundred gold, and we forget the name?" The captain raised an eyebrow, but the greed in his eyes showed as the coins sparkled. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Smith."

Ryan chuckled to himself quietly as he boarded the ship, retreating to a quiet cabin for the trip. _'Ah, it is almost too easy for me…bribery works every time.'_

-0-

_Bowerstone Castle_

Serah looked over Hal's Rifle, which she knew as an Assault Rifle. _'How the hell did one of these end up in Albion?' _She held it up in her hand, seeing that for something that had supposedly been in Albion for centuries, it looked it just came out of its wrapping. _'I looked into some of the ancient stories of Albion's history, but none of them mentioned this.' _

"Serah?" a sleepy voice asked from behind her. The General turned, relaxing when she saw it was Amy, still in her nightgown. "Oh, it's you." _'Quit being so jumpy.' _The Banshee had made her more on edge than she would have liked, having nearly killed her with little effort.

Serah held up the weapon, and she saw Amy's green eyes flash. "That's…Hal's Rifle? I thought it was just a myth!" The former Spartan shook her head, stepping towards her. "This is an Assault Rifle from my old world. This weapon doesn't belong in this time. How did it end up here?"

Amy ran a hand through her still messy red hair. "I think…it was well over a thousand years ago. During the time of the Old Kingdom, the Archon himself opened up a portal to another world, and out stepped a warrior clad in green armor. He carried this weapon, and he vanquished many enemies before stepping back into it. Legend has it that he was known throughout the Old Kingdom as Hal…but he supposedly said his name was John."

Serah's eyes narrowed, for she could think of only one Spartan named John. The Master Chief himself. _'It can't be…but that is name of the only other Spartan to reach the rating of hyper-lethal. If he was in really in Albion, then why did he leave behind his Assault Rifle?' _ "Amy, the only person wearing armor like that is someone I've heard about. He was another special soldier, like me."

"Really?" the Queen asked. "What on earth was he doing here then?" Serah shrugged, placing the weapon across her back. "Dunno. I'd like to know myself, but we don't have the time. We need to destroy the Silver Serpent today, and reassign Allison to the rest of that git Nigel Ferret's gang." _'If this goes to plan, then Alex already has Allison out of there and is preparing a strike on their headquarters in the Market.' _

"Agreed," Amy yawned, stretching out. "Though before that, I think we might want to get changed. Unless you want to walk around Bowerstone in just your underwear." Serah scoffed, following her back to their quarters. "What, and have Jasper make comments about it for a week? No thanks. He's already heard us in the pub."

"Serah!" The Queen blushed at the memory of their first time, which was in the pub in Bowerstone Market. And Jasper had heard everything through the Guild Seal. "He still teases me about that!"

The General shrugged, opening the door to their bedroom. "I don't recall you complaining about it then." She locked it behind her, for they would prefer to get changed without a poor soldier walking in on them. Or an unfortunate maid.

For the possibility of a strike on the castle, Serah put on a more armored suit, with pieces of heavy armor on her chest and shoulders. "We need to sentence Leroy, too. What are his charges?"

Amy let out a low hiss, her green eyes dark. "Murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and torture. He'll never see another day after this." Serah raised an eyebrow as she pulled on a pair of combat boots. "Death penalty?" _'It's been a long time since she sentenced someone to death. I think the last person she did that to was her older brother Logan.' _

In the time she had been Queen, Amy had very rarely gone as far as to actually execute someone for their crimes. But with as long of a list as he had, Leroy was about to join that very small list consisting of only the former king Logan, when he was convicted of crimes against the kingdom and its people.

Amy nodded slowly, sliding her pistol into its holster. "Yes. I thought about this carefully, and I have decided that he is too dangerous of a man to risk imprisoning him, as he may harm our guards and other inmates. Leroy will face a bullet."

Serah shrugged her shoulders, placing her sword across her back. "I can't argue. Who'll be the one pulling the trigger? Not you, I hope." The young Queen shook her head, combing back her hair. "No. Luna volunteered herself for that duty, although I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason behind it is so she can actually get to shoot someone on purpose and get a break from Feya."

The fact that Luna volunteered to be the executioner was not a surprise. Nor were the supposed reasons behind it. Everyone in the castle, including the servants and cooks, wanted to shoot Leroy. And a few (including Luna) wanted to set him on fire before shooting him.

"The only person who doesn't want to get away from Feya at the moment is Alex," Serah pointed out, opening the door and nodding in the direction of a soldier standing guard. Ever since Commander Milton's betrayal, the General had ordered for there to be at least one guard on duty to protect the Royal Bedroom. If a surprise attack were to happen, they didn't exactly want to be caught napping.

Amy let out a soft laugh. "That is true. But, he's currently busy training Nick and Red for the strike on that gang's headquarters. I'll leave a couple guards here to make sure the castle doesn't end up on fire from Luna's wrath." They walked to the garden where Luna was waiting, a rifle in her hands. "My Queen. I'm ready for the execution." Serah nodded coolly, jerking her head over to a pair of guards. "Fetch the prisoner." They saluted before scurrying over to the castle, their arms tense in case Leroy attempted to break out. "Yes, ma'am."

After the guards left, the General turned her attention to the ex-mercenary. "Have you had any word from Page recently?" The two women had a very intimate relationship that was cut short due to the threat of the Darkness and Page's desire to work down in the city. As a result, the two had been unable to see each other for some time.

Luna sighed, shaking her head. "Not even a bloody whisper. I know that she's down in Industrial, but why wouldn't she at least send a letter or something?" Her green gaze hardened as she saw past the General's shoulder, and she pulled the bolt back on her rifle. "Finally. Someone I get to shoot."

Serah turned around, and she saw Leroy being escorted by the guards. The prisoner's beard was unkempt, as was his hair. He had a furious glint in his wild eyes, and he spat out as the guards shoved him forward. "Keep moving!"

"As you were." Amy put up her hand, and the two men stepped away from the prisoner, their swords drawn in case he attempted to escape. The young Queen walked in front of him, Luna by her side. "Leroy Jenkins, you have been found guilty of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and torture. Your sentence is death, by order of the crown."

Leroy laughed, his teeth stained yellow. "You think killing me will solve anything!? You don't know about our numbers, or where our base is! Fools!" Amy's green eyes flashed, and stepped back, nodding to Luna. "We do know. We've had an informant amongst your lot for quite some time now. Not that you'll ever know who it was. Captain Luna, take aim."

"My pleasure," Luna replied, raising her rifle to her shoulder and aiming. Leroy's expression changed to one of shock, his eyes nervous. "Who!? We haven't had a new member in more than three months!"

Amy ignored the prisoner, giving the order to fire. "Fire." The rifle's muzzle flashed, and a single shot rang out. The bullet struck Leroy in throat, and he was dead before he hit the ground. The former mercenary lowered her rifle, kicking the corpse. "What a pillock. You tossers never suspected that our dear Allison was the one, did you? Typical mobster arrogance."

-0-

_Bowerstone Market_

Alex looked over the four people who were coming with him to raid the Silver Serpent base. He had specifically requested Nick and Red for the strike, mainly as he wanted Red to be their sniper and cover their backs. Nick on the other hand would be good in tight spaces, which was something they needed.

He needed Allison, as she knew the exact location to base. The last member was David, who had volunteered for the attack. The black haired man stood with a smoke in his mouth and his pistol in his hand, looking bored. "So, that asshole attempted to have you assassinated, kid?"

The Major nodded, remembering the failed attempt. "Yeah. Apparently he paid the assassins in firearms. A Dragonstomper .48, to be exact." _'I've never even heard of that model. Must be really rare and expensive.' _

David flicked a flurry of ashes on the ground, his grey eyes interested. "Impressive. Only six of those pistols were ever made. Reaver has one, and he's killed four of the other owners so far before taking them. Looks like he missed one."

'_The one time we want Reaver to shoot someone, he's not here,' _Alex sighed. "Pity. Looks like we have to relieve the bastard of that, too." The sun started to rise, and Alex nodded to Allison. "Lead the way. Once we reach the base, sprint back to Serah as fast you can. We don't need them finding out you're the informant." _'The remains of Nigel Ferret's crew are next on our list. Even though I shot him over a year ago, his crew is still somehow partially intact.' _

The spy nodded, and she led them through Bowerstone Market, eventually stopping at a heavy steel door under the bridge. "Here. The boss's office is in the back, and is guarded. Best of luck."

Alex grinned, loading a clip into his pistol. "Thanks. Now, get out of here." Allison sprinted away from them, and the Major pointed to a tree on the other side of Bower River. "Red, you take cover in that tree. You're our best sniper, and we'll need you to make sure we don't get ambushed from behind." The young girl nodded, hefting her rifle over her shoulder. "Don't worry. No one is getting past that door."

'_I do hope Luna had a bit of a chat with her,' _the blonde thought as she headed over to her position. "Shall we knock?" Nick shook his head, giving the Major a rare grin. "Nah, let's surprise them."

Alex chuckled before kicking the door open. "Move in!" The bandits inside the base looked up in shock as the three men infiltrated, their guns blazing. The surprise attack worked perfectly, as some of the bandits were even caught dead in their pants. A few were prepared, and they raised their rifles before returning fire. "Sir! It's an ambush!"

Alex and Nick ducked behind a flipped over table, the two shrugging. "Well, this worked better than I originally thought." The newly promoted Sergeant Major scoffed, reloading his rifle. "Really now? Did your original idea about this involve us dying horrible, agonizing, and extremely gruesome deaths?"

Alex shrugged again, smiling as he returned fire, the bullets striking one of the bandits in the chest. "Pretty much. Though now, it seems like they will be the ones suffering horrible deaths." He heard a body fall behind him, and the Major turned to see a dead bandit, with a bullet hole in his head. "Good thing we have Red watching our arses." _'Damn. Must be reinforcements coming back when they realized that Leroy isn't in the prison anymore.' _

Nick spat at the body, annoyed. "Dammit! One of us will have to fall back and support Red. As good of a shot as she is, she can't take care of all the bastards who're coming back to reinforce the base."

'_He's right. We need to help Red out by giving her fewer targets to take care of,' _Alex realized. He saw David pinned by a group of six bandits behind a pillar, lighting one of his cigarettes of all things. "What the hell are you doing!?" _'Now is not the bloody time to have a smoke!' _

The black-haired man reloaded his pistol before firing, taking out most of the bandits. "Having a smoke. Kid, there are times where you just have to enjoy the little things. Like lighting one up when you feel like it." He turned around and fired again, killing the two other bandits who had him pinned.

Alex rolled his eyes, jerking his head over to Nick. "Fall back and support Red! Make sure no one gets in or out!" Nick nodded, drawing his sword. "Will do." The blonde Major then turned his attention to the next door in front of him, David smoking next to him. "So…should we just barge in, or should we knock politely and wait for a response?"

"That's up to you, kid," David replied, flicking some ashes onto the bloodstained ground, now sodden and crimson. "You're the Major, not me." Alex snorted before drawing his sword, kicking the door open. "Then let's do it this way." _'Either way, the bastard on the other side has his gun drawn and aimed at the door. One of us is going to end up shot.'_

He heard a gunshot, and soon felt a sharp sting in his side. He knew from the burning sensation inside that he had indeed been shot. As he felt his side, he heard another series of shots, and David blew on his smoking barrel, holstering the weapon. "Asshole."

The leader of the Silver Serpent lay on the ground, bleeding from several wounds. "How did you find this base!?" His Dragonstomper .48 was lying on the ground, along with one of the man's fingers. David had actually managed to shoot it off, rending the man defenseless.

"We had an informant," Alex said through gritted teeth, using his sword for support. "They had been amongst you for quite some time, and yet you never even knew who it was." _'Allison was the perfect one for the duty. All of this was possible thanks to her feeding us information on a weekly basis.'_

The leader backed himself against the wall, blood trickling from the wounds in his chest. "It was her, wasn't it? Allison…I should have seen that coming. Pity…I had actually begun to really like that girl." He then laughed bitterly, blood spilling from his lips. "What a fool I was. I have nowhere to run, and I have been defeated. It was only a matter of time before the Silver Serpent's reign came to an abrupt and bloody end."

Alex stood up straighter, hobbling over and raising his pistol. "Indeed it was." The leader met his gaze unflinching, even as the Major pulled the trigger. A small hole appeared in the center of his head, and the leader of the Silver Serpent sank against the wall, now dead. _'It's over. The Serpent's reign is at an end.'_

David crouched down, picking up the deceased leader's Dragonstomper. "Not bad. There's not much in Albion that'll withstand this thing's firepower." He flicked some ashes onto the dead man's body, holstering his newly acquired weapon. "I think I'll be taking this, before Reaver decides to come down here and nick it."

The door to the office opened, and both Alex and David whirled around, pistols drawn. Nick stood unflinchingly, his sword red with blood. "Funny. I didn't know that we started using our own soldiers as target practice. Or did I miss one of your nonexistent meetings?"

The Major lowered his pistol, chuckling. "Sorry about that. Where's Red?" Nick shook his head, sighing. "You honestly won't believe this…" Alex and David shared a glance, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. _'No…please, don't tell me Red was killed.' _

"Don't look like that. The kid's not dead. It's just…sort of hard to explain what she's doing," Nick scratched the back of his head, wiping the blood off his sword. Alex sighed, walking past the Sergeant Major. "Look, unless she's on top of Allison or Luna, I doubt I'd be surprised." _'I don't even think that'll ever happen. Red's too innocent.' _

He then saw the young Captain, rifle in hand and eating cookies. And judging by the amount of small crumbs around her, she had quite a stash of them. David and Nick let out a laugh as Alex face-palmed, rubbing his head. _'Okay, I wasn't expecting that.' _"Red, were you eating cookies and shooting bandits at the same time?"

She nodded, her eyes wide as the sugar rush started to take effect. "Yes! Two things I love most: shooting bandits and eating cookies. Why not combine the two?"

"Because it sounds impossible to do both at the same time?" Alex suggested dryly. "For Avo's sake, it looks like you raided the kitchens before this mission! Where in the name of sanity did you find that many cookies?" _'Seriously, no one eats as much of that rubbish as you.'_

"Ten gold on Luna," Nick whispered over to David. The black-haired man grinned and pulled on his cigarette. "I'll bet it was Serah. She had a thing for cookies during training that we never understood."

"Serah gave them to me," Red answered, starting to get a little twitchy with sugar. Alex chuckled as he heard Nick swear, "Bollocks." David laughed and held his hand out, looking smug. "Told you."

The Sergeant Major grumbled and slapped a few gold coins into David's hand, who grinned. "Thanks mate. Now I can pay for our drinks." Red and Alex looked at each other, the younger woman covered in cookie crumbs and Alex still bleeding. "Um…that might not be the best for two of us. One of us is high off of sugar and the other was shot." _'It won't kill me, but I want to get Red out of here so she can sleep off the sugar rush.' _

"Then take the kid back to the castle, and Nick and I will get three beers for us," David suggested. "We won't take even ten minutes." Nick let out a snort, folding his arms. "Providing that this bastard doesn't decide to pick a fight with some burly bloke after sleeping with his wife."

David laughed, throwing his stub away. "That was only one time. Besides, I was under the impression she was divorced and looking for a, 'dark-haired man to make her clothes disappear and make her unable to walk'."

"The last bit was correct. The first bit was the biggest lie since Jack of Blades said he wanted to help the Hero of Oakvale," Nick muttered. Alex grunted, limping towards the castle. "Make it four. Luna will kick us from here to Aurora if we don't get her a drink, too." _'What a drunken pyromaniac she is sometimes…' _

For a mission that consisted of extraction and elimination, the blonde Major couldn't think of a way it could have possibly gone better. Or a better way to celebrate than with a few drinks.

_**A/N: Gonna wrap this up now. I'll try to see if I can get another chapter out before I go up to 'Good old Dirty Jersey' for a week or so to meet my British pothead mate…Till then guys!**_

_**P.S. Does anyone else find the song 'Chelsea Dagger' by The Fratellis to be both annoying as fuck yet catchy at the same time?**_


End file.
